Program Information
- ISBN
- 9781623825065
- Technical Specifications: Checklist
- Tech Specs: Checklist (pdf 524.2 KB)
- Technical Specifications: Professional Development
- Tech Specs: Professional Development (pdf 180.36 KB)
Ascend Mastery, Grade 2
ELAR Grade 2
IMRA 2026
Publisher: Reading Horizons dba HEC Software Inc.
Copyright: 2026
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 2 | 50% | 100% |
Criteria for Quality
Rubric Section 1
Intentional Instructional Design
Total
92% (22 out of 24 points)
Evaluation for 1.1a
The scope and sequence includes a 150-day calendar and program components for word study/morphology, fluency, comprehension, grammar and syntax, and writing. The scope and sequence also outlines concepts taught throughout the course, including determining the theme from details and determining the main idea and summarizing. The “Evidence of TEKS Alignment” and “Evidence of ELPS Alignment” documents outline the standards addressed in the course.
The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) are embedded within the scope and sequence or directly connected to unit and lesson progression. Units and lessons identify which TEKS or ELPS appear within instruction.
Evaluation for 1.1b
The materials include a pacing guide with a 150-day instructional calendar in which each lesson corresponds to one instructional day. The “Pacing Guidance” section recommends one lesson per day within the literacy block, with one day per week for assessment and application. This includes the components phonics, fluency, grammar, comprehension, and writing.
The pacing guide addresses the identified gap by providing pacing options for 150-, 165-, 180-, and 210-day instructional calendars while maintaining the 150-day core instructional sequence. The pacing guide also explains how responsive instruction days support reteaching, differentiation, extension, and application. The materials include general guidance, such as spending time in small groups reteaching based on assessments, extending writing assignments, or using extra days for student projects.
Evaluation for 1.1c
In the “Program Architecture Overview,” the instructional model establishes a consistent structure for core instruction and introduces concepts sequentially from simple to more complex. The program follows a linear, routine-based design and uses ongoing formative assessments to monitor student understanding and support mastery of prerequisite skills. Instruction is organized around 10 interconnected themes that recur across grade levels, enabling students to deepen their understanding and strengthen connections across domains over time.
The materials clearly explain the rationale for the course’s unit sequence. The program describes thematic progression and cross-domain connections and explains why it arranges units in their current order and how skills and concepts build systematically from one unit to the next. The course, unit, and learning progression guidance describes how learning progresses from accessible contexts to increasingly complex disciplinary knowledge, interdisciplinary connections, inquiry, and synthesis and shows how earlier learning builds a foundation for later units.
Evaluation for 1.1d
The materials include structured processes to support educator preparation for unit instruction. Through the Program Design and Instructional Routines resource, educators use the “Planning Protocol” to internalize each unit. Educators review prior assessment and benchmark data; analyze the Essential Question and “Unit at a Glance” section; and identify learning progressions, instructional priorities, and academic vocabulary. Educators also gather differentiated instructional resources to support instruction before teaching the unit.
The materials provide additional unit-level supports through the “Unit at a Glance” section and the “Program Architecture Overview.” The “Unit at a Glance” section outlines instructional sequencing, key concepts, texts, and required materials. The “Program Architecture Overview” provides pacing guidance and supports for daily instruction, small groups, differentiation, and multilingual learners.
Evaluation for 1.1e
The implementation guide provides structured, phase-based guidance for school leaders to support and monitor effective program implementation. The timeline guides administrators in supporting instruction for four phases, including before school starts, the first week of school, 30 days into the school year, and 60 days into the school year.
The “Use the Ascend Early Implementation Checklist” suggests that administrators use a checklist for walk-throughs, which addresses the identified gap by providing instructional leaders with observable indicators for monitoring lesson implementation and offering actionable coaching feedback.
Evaluation for 1.2a
Unit overviews provide the background knowledge and academic vocabulary necessary to teach the concepts in the unit. The “Unit Order Rationale” contains each grade level’s unit overviews. Each unit overview is organized with the following sections: “Knowledge Students Will Build,” “Teacher Background Knowledge,” “Key Content Understandings,” “Academic and Content Vocabulary,” and “Teacher Planning Note.”
Each overview contains a “Teacher Background Knowledge” section that is specific to each unit and grade level. This component provides necessary information and possible misconceptions about the concepts in the unit. Both academic and content vocabulary for the unit are provided in the overviews.
Evaluation for 1.2b
Family support resources for each unit, including “Caregiver Letters,” provide overviews and at-home strategies to support student learning. These resources are available in English and Spanish, which ensures accessibility for families and enables them to actively support their student’s literacy development.
The Caregiver portal provides families with access to lesson content and student progress, supporting ongoing engagement in both English and Spanish. For example, the “Caregiver Letter” tells families which skills students will be working on and provides practical suggestions for supporting learning progress through activities at home.
Evaluation for 1.3a
Lesson plans are structured into weekly and unit plans. Included are unit Essential Questions and weekly topics. Daily lessons include plans with tasks and questions related to the weekly topic. Lesson plans include components that have a general focus and lesson objectives.
In Program Design and Instructional Routines, the “Program Architecture Overview” provides a comprehensive and detailed lesson plan support. The “Lesson Planning: Scripted & Supported Instruction” section explains the daily objectives aligned to lesson standards, checks for understanding of lesson objectives, questions to promote the use of language to meet language objectives, tasks to promote mastery of the lesson objectives, and a list of necessary materials.
Lesson 31 includes structured lesson plans with daily objectives, questions, tasks, and instructional assessments. The lesson objective is “Learners will use end marks to read sentences clearly and smoothly.” After reading two sample sentences, the educator asks, “What punctuation do you see at the end?” Then the students participate in choral, partner, and independent reading, with educator support for phrasing as needed. The weekly topic is “See how animals hide, disguise themselves, or even pretend to be something else to trick predators and stay safe.” The connected passage in the fluency lesson is “The Need for Bees,” and the turn-and-talk prompt is “Why do you think bees are so important for plants and trees?” The materials do not identify how the activities and objectives align with the TEKS and the ELPS.
Evaluation for 1.3b
The “Resources” tab within the educator software provides all educator and student materials needed for instruction, including student pages, fluency passages, comprehension texts, assessments, and homework. This organization ensures educators can easily access the materials required to effectively deliver each lesson component.
In the “Program Architecture Overview,” the “Practice and Application” section provides a lesson breakdown with time allotments for Foundations and Language Comprehension, including explicit educator instruction, student application and practice, and total time.
Evaluation for 1.3c
The “Resources” tab includes centralized access to instructional and extended practice resources, and the dedicated “Differentiation” tab provides targeted support for developing, progressing, and proficient students. These differentiated resources include extension, reinforcement, and enrichment opportunities aligned to student needs, supporting effective use of materials for continued practice beyond the core lesson.
Additionally, lesson-connected practice packets, homework resources, weekly checkpoints, and benchmark assessments provide structured opportunities for continued practice and reinforcement beyond core instruction.
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 Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) are embedded within the scope and sequence or directly connected to unit and lesson progression. Units and lessons identify which TEKS or ELPS appear within instruction.
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 guide addresses the identified gap by providing pacing options for 150-, 165-, 180-, and 210-day instructional calendars while maintaining the 150-day core instructional sequence. The pacing guide also explains how responsive instruction days support reteaching, differentiation, extension, and application. The materials include general guidance, such as spending time in small groups reteaching based on assessments, extending writing assignments, or using extra days for student projects.
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 materials clearly explain the rationale for the course’s unit sequence. The program describes thematic progression and cross-domain connections and explains why it arranges units in their current order and how skills and concepts build systematically from one unit to the next. The course, unit, and learning progression guidance describes how learning progresses from accessible contexts to increasingly complex disciplinary knowledge, interdisciplinary connections, inquiry, and synthesis and shows how earlier learning builds a foundation for later units.
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 materials provide additional unit-level supports through the “Unit at a Glance” section and the “Program Architecture Overview.” The “Unit at a Glance” section outlines instructional sequencing, key concepts, texts, and required materials. The “Program Architecture Overview” provides pacing guidance and supports for daily instruction, small groups, differentiation, and multilingual learners.
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 “Use the Ascend Early Implementation Checklist” suggests that administrators use a checklist for walk-throughs, which addresses the identified gap by providing instructional leaders with observable indicators for monitoring lesson implementation and offering actionable coaching feedback.
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
Each overview contains a “Teacher Background Knowledge” section that is specific to each unit and grade level. This component provides necessary information and possible misconceptions about the concepts in the unit. Both academic and content vocabulary for the unit are provided in the overviews.
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 Caregiver portal provides families with access to lesson content and student progress, supporting ongoing engagement in both English and Spanish. For example, the “Caregiver Letter” tells families which skills students will be working on and provides practical suggestions for supporting learning progress through activities at home.
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).
3 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).
3 out of 5 points
In Program Design and Instructional Routines, the “Program Architecture Overview” provides a comprehensive and detailed lesson plan support. The “Lesson Planning: Scripted & Supported Instruction” section explains the daily objectives aligned to lesson standards, checks for understanding of lesson objectives, questions to promote the use of language to meet language objectives, tasks to promote mastery of the lesson objectives, and a list of necessary materials.
Lesson 31 includes structured lesson plans with daily objectives, questions, tasks, and instructional assessments. The lesson objective is “Learners will use end marks to read sentences clearly and smoothly.” After reading two sample sentences, the educator asks, “What punctuation do you see at the end?” Then the students participate in choral, partner, and independent reading, with educator support for phrasing as needed. The weekly topic is “See how animals hide, disguise themselves, or even pretend to be something else to trick predators and stay safe.” The connected passage in the fluency lesson is “The Need for Bees,” and the turn-and-talk prompt is “Why do you think bees are so important for plants and trees?” The materials do not identify how the activities and objectives align with the TEKS and the ELPS.
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
In the “Program Architecture Overview,” the “Practice and Application” section provides a lesson breakdown with time allotments for Foundations and Language Comprehension, including explicit educator instruction, student application and practice, and total time.
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
Additionally, lesson-connected practice packets, homework resources, weekly checkpoints, and benchmark assessments provide structured opportunities for continued practice and reinforcement beyond core instruction.
Rubric Section 2
Progress Monitoring
Materials support educators in effective implementation through frequent, strategic opportunities to monitor and respond to student progress.
Total
83% (15 out of 18 points)
Evaluation for 2.1a
Program Design and Instructional Routines provides embedded daily checks, weekly checkpoints, unit assessments, benchmark assessments, diagnostic assessments, and progress monitoring assessments throughout the year. These assessment opportunities support ongoing monitoring of student learning and instructional decision-making.
At the lesson level, embedded daily checks and weekly checkpoints provide formative assessment opportunities that monitor student understanding during instruction. At the unit level, unit assessments and benchmark assessments measure student mastery of concepts and skills taught across groups of lessons. Diagnostic assessments identify student readiness and instructional needs before or during instruction.
Program Design and Instructional Routines explains that diagnostic assessments are used to evaluate students at benchmark points three times throughout the year. However, the diagnostic assessments cannot be viewed by the educator.
Evaluation for 2.1b
In Program Design and Instructional Routines, the “Program Architecture Overview” defines embedded daily checks as formative assessments embedded within instruction to capture immediate evidence of student understanding. Weekly checkpoints are short-cycle assessments that monitor retention and application of recently taught skills. Unit assessments evaluate mastery of skills and concepts taught across an instructional unit. Benchmark assessments evaluate cumulative proficiency and growth at key points throughout the year. Diagnostic assessments identify literacy skill gaps that contribute to grade-level performance needs.
The materials also explain the intended purpose of each assessment type. Embedded daily checks identify misconceptions and guide immediate instructional adjustments. Weekly checkpoints support small-group instructional planning and identify students who need additional support or enrichment. Unit assessments confirm mastery and readiness for future instruction. Benchmark assessments monitor long-term growth and support instructional planning. Diagnostic assessments guide targeted intervention and instructional support.
Evaluation for 2.1c
In Program Design and Instructional Routines, the “Assessments” section provides assessment blueprints, administration time ranges, explanations of assessment structures, and directions for administering specific assessment tasks. Oral reading fluency directions, educator read-aloud guidance, and standardized prompts support consistent implementation across instructional settings.
The materials further support accurate administration through explicit guidance for assessment preparation, administration procedures, reporting expectations, and use of assessment data. Weekly checkpoint educator forms include estimated timing, educator directions, dictated prompts, student tasks, and scoring spaces for reading, spelling, high-frequency words, and comprehension assessments. Together, these resources support standardized assessment administration and consistent interpretation of results.
Evaluation for 2.1d
The materials include formative and summative assessments aligned to the TEKS and instructional objectives of lessons and units. In the “TEKS-ELPS Ascend Assessment Item Alignment” document, weekly checkpoints, and unit assessments identify assessment items aligned to specific TEKS. Additionally, Program Design and Instructional Routines explains that embedded daily checks are drawn directly from lesson activities and recently taught instruction, weekly checkpoints evaluate retention and application of recently taught skills, and unit assessments evaluate mastery of skills and concepts taught across a complete instructional unit.
Assessment artifacts further demonstrate alignment to instructional objectives. For example, the weekly checkpoint in lesson 5 assesses skills taught during lessons 1–4, including decoding and spelling words with -ed, blends and double-l (both in isolation and in sentences) and demonstrating comprehension through key details, main ideas, and inferential questions.
The materials reference diagnostic assessments and describe their intended use for identifying literacy skill gaps and informing instructional planning. However, diagnostic assessments are not available for review. As a result, the materials do not provide sufficient evidence to determine whether diagnostic assessments align with the TEKS or with the objectives of the course, unit, or lesson.
Evaluation for 2.1e
The “TEKS-ELPS Ascend Assessment Item Alignment” document identifies assessment items aligned to specific TEKS within weekly checkpoints and unit assessments. Assessment resources include multiple item types, such as letter and word reading, spelling tasks, oral reading fluency measures, multiple-choice questions, matching activities, constructed responses, and writing tasks.
Assessment items require students to demonstrate understanding through increasingly complex tasks. For example, weekly checkpoints assess reading, spelling, high-frequency words, writing, and comprehension skills using a variety of response formats. As students progress through the year, assessment tasks move beyond foundational literacy skills to require more advanced application of reading and comprehension skills, providing opportunities for students to demonstrate learning at varying levels of complexity.
Evaluation for 2.2a
Assessment resources include educator-facing scoring supports such as answer keys for weekly checkpoints and writing rubrics with proficiency-level descriptors, developmental expectations, and sample student responses within the “Benchmark Assessment Writing Packages.” These resources help ensure consistency and accuracy when evaluating student work.
The materials also provide guidance for interpreting assessment results through the Assessment System Guide, educator dashboard resources, and reporting tools. The Assessment System Guide explains how data from embedded daily checks, weekly checkpoints, benchmark assessments, unit assessments, and diagnostic assessments can inform instructional decisions, including reteaching, intervention, enrichment, and flexible grouping. In addition, educator dashboards and instructor-level reports provide actionable data, identify student strengths and areas of need, and recommend instructional next steps. The reporting tools translate assessment results into meaningful instructional insights and support educators in analyzing performance trends and determining appropriate instructional responses.
Evaluation for 2.2b
The “Differentiation Planning Template” guides educators in reviewing weekly checkpoints, unit checkpoints, and in-lesson observations to identify student needs and select targeted instructional resources. Based on assessment results, educators group students into “developing,” “progressing,” and “proficient” performance levels and provide aligned support through reteach lessons, Decodable Reader routines, fluency resources, comprehension resources, and extension activities.
The materials also provide educator-facing data tools that support responsive instructional planning. For example, the “Instructional Insights” section of the dashboard explains what the assessment data shows, what the results mean, and the recommended next instructional steps. The section includes direct links to lessons and targeted resources that support reteaching, intervention, enrichment, and differentiated instruction based on identified student performance trends.
Evaluation for 2.2c
The educator dashboard includes a “Data” tab that displays class- and assessment-level information, including instructional insights, weekly domain-level accuracy, weekly accuracy growth, benchmark performance, and progress monitoring data. The materials also provide literacy profiles, instructional performance levels, and a “Differentiation Planning Template” that support review of assessment results, identification of error patterns, grouping of students by instructional need, monitoring of progress, and planning of instructional adjustments. For example, the “Instructional Insights” section explains what the assessment data shows, what the results mean, and the recommended next instructional steps to support instructional planning.
The materials also include tools for students to track their own progress and growth. The “My Ascend Mastery Growth Tracker” allows students to record goals, monitor performance on weekly checkpoints and unit assessments, document scores, and reflect on their learning. Students respond to prompts such as “One Thing I Learned” and “Something I’m Proud Of,” which provide structured opportunities to monitor progress, reflect on growth, and take ownership of 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.
2 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.
2 out of 3 points
At the lesson level, embedded daily checks and weekly checkpoints provide formative assessment opportunities that monitor student understanding during instruction. At the unit level, unit assessments and benchmark assessments measure student mastery of concepts and skills taught across groups of lessons. Diagnostic assessments identify student readiness and instructional needs before or during instruction.
Program Design and Instructional Routines explains that diagnostic assessments are used to evaluate students at benchmark points three times throughout the year. However, the diagnostic assessments cannot be viewed by the educator.
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 explain the intended purpose of each assessment type. Embedded daily checks identify misconceptions and guide immediate instructional adjustments. Weekly checkpoints support small-group instructional planning and identify students who need additional support or enrichment. Unit assessments confirm mastery and readiness for future instruction. Benchmark assessments monitor long-term growth and support instructional planning. Diagnostic assessments guide targeted intervention and instructional support.
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 materials further support accurate administration through explicit guidance for assessment preparation, administration procedures, reporting expectations, and use of assessment data. Weekly checkpoint educator forms include estimated timing, educator directions, dictated prompts, student tasks, and scoring spaces for reading, spelling, high-frequency words, and comprehension assessments. Together, these resources support standardized assessment administration and consistent interpretation of 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.
4 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.
4 out of 6 points
Assessment artifacts further demonstrate alignment to instructional objectives. For example, the weekly checkpoint in lesson 5 assesses skills taught during lessons 1–4, including decoding and spelling words with -ed, blends and double-l (both in isolation and in sentences) and demonstrating comprehension through key details, main ideas, and inferential questions.
The materials reference diagnostic assessments and describe their intended use for identifying literacy skill gaps and informing instructional planning. However, diagnostic assessments are not available for review. As a result, the materials do not provide sufficient evidence to determine whether diagnostic assessments align with the TEKS or with the objectives of the course, unit, or lesson.
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
Assessment items require students to demonstrate understanding through increasingly complex tasks. For example, weekly checkpoints assess reading, spelling, high-frequency words, writing, and comprehension skills using a variety of response formats. As students progress through the year, assessment tasks move beyond foundational literacy skills to require more advanced application of reading and comprehension skills, providing opportunities for students to demonstrate learning at varying levels of complexity.
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 provide guidance for interpreting assessment results through the Assessment System Guide, educator dashboard resources, and reporting tools. The Assessment System Guide explains how data from embedded daily checks, weekly checkpoints, benchmark assessments, unit assessments, and diagnostic assessments can inform instructional decisions, including reteaching, intervention, enrichment, and flexible grouping. In addition, educator dashboards and instructor-level reports provide actionable data, identify student strengths and areas of need, and recommend instructional next steps. The reporting tools translate assessment results into meaningful instructional insights and support educators in analyzing performance trends and determining appropriate instructional 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 provide educator-facing data tools that support responsive instructional planning. For example, the “Instructional Insights” section of the dashboard explains what the assessment data shows, what the results mean, and the recommended next instructional steps. The section includes direct links to lessons and targeted resources that support reteaching, intervention, enrichment, and differentiated instruction based on identified student performance trends.
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 include tools for students to track their own progress and growth. The “My Ascend Mastery Growth Tracker” allows students to record goals, monitor performance on weekly checkpoints and unit assessments, document scores, and reflect on their learning. Students respond to prompts such as “One Thing I Learned” and “Something I’m Proud Of,” which provide structured opportunities to monitor progress, reflect on growth, and take ownership of 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
90% (18 out of 20 points)
Evaluation for 3.1a
The “Differentiation” tab directs educators to use results from weekly checkpoints, unit checkpoints, and in-lesson observations to organize students into developing, progressing, and proficient performance levels. Targeted support resources, reteach lessons, structured small-group routines, and differentiated activities help educators address identified skill needs while maintaining access to grade-level content. Additionally, educators use resources organized by instructional performance level to provide support during small-group and independent instructional settings.
The materials also include paired instructional routines designed to support students who have not yet reached proficiency. For example, the Decodable Reader Developing routine and Alphabet Book Developing routine provide explicit educator modeling, guided practice, oral language routines, corrective feedback, Elkonin box routines, sound tapping, tracking routines, and guided reading opportunities aligned to targeted phonics skills. The materials further support differentiated instruction through scaffolds provided in the “Notes” panel, including questioning prompts, articulation supports, multilingual supports, and instructional guidance that helps students access and engage with grade-level content and skills.
Evaluation for 3.1b
The comprehension domain includes a “Background Knowledge and Vocabulary” section, shared reading with pause points, explicit strategy routines, and evidence and reasoning practice that support students in understanding unfamiliar vocabulary, academic language, and text-based references before and during reading. The materials also provide educator guidance for explicit vocabulary instruction, oral language activities, multilingual supports, and structured discussions to help students apply newly learned vocabulary in meaningful contexts.
Lesson 31 includes a “Background Knowledge and Vocabulary” section that builds context before reading by connecting students to the idea of finding something just right. The lesson pre-teaches vocabulary such as invisible, squinted, reflecting, discovered, and truly through visuals, actions, definitions, repeated practice, sentence examples, and oral language activities before students read The Invisible Gecko. Additionally, sentence stems embedded within both oral language activities and the “Notes” panel support students in using newly learned vocabulary during discussions and written responses.
Evaluation for 3.1c
The “Differentiation” tab directs educators to use weekly checkpoint data and lesson-embedded observations to identify students performing at the proficient level and select resources that increase complexity, promote independence, extend learning, and support transfer of skills. The materials also provide guidance for fluency-building, application, and extension opportunities aligned to current instructional content.
The materials include enrichment and extension activities designed for proficient learners. For example, the Decodable Reader Proficient routine and the Alphabet Books Proficient routine support independent application of phonics patterns, fluent reading, oral language development, and transfer of grade-level literacy skills. Additional extension opportunities include Write and Share, Act It Out, Talk About the Story, Make a Connection, What Comes Next, and Partner Word Challenge; independent reading activities; and creative writing tasks that promote deeper thinking and application of learned skills.
Evaluation for 3.2a
Program Design and Instructional Routines describes a gradual-release model consisting of I Do (modeling), We Do (guided practice), and You Do (independent practice), with embedded instructional routines across literacy domains. Lessons provide direct educator scripting, modeled demonstrations, oral language prompts, questioning routines, corrective feedback prompts, expected student responses, and guided practice opportunities that support clear explanations and explicit instruction. For example, in unit 3, lesson 31, the segmenting phonemes lesson provides scripted language that directs educators to explain the skill by stating, “That means we will break a full word into its separate sounds,” and then model the process by saying, “Now I can break it into its sounds: /f/ /l/ /ī/ /t/.” These detailed scripts promote consistent and explicit instruction and ensure that educators clearly demonstrate the targeted skill.
The materials also include guidance to support educators in modeling and explaining concepts. The “Lesson Planning: Scripted & Supported Instruction” section explains that lessons include point-of-use educator guidance, lesson targets, interactive scripting, educator tips, and instructional supports to guide lesson delivery. Throughout the lessons, oral language discussion prompts, sentence frames, and model responses provide additional support for educators as they facilitate instruction. For example, in unit 3, lesson 31, an “Instructional Support” note guides educators in visually modeling phoneme segmentation by directing students to “Tap the sounds down your left arm, starting at the shoulder and moving toward the hand.” An additional note offers an alternative modeling strategy using sound chips and Elkonin boxes. These supports help educators effectively model comprehension strategies and reinforce evidence-based discussions
Evaluation for 3.2b
In Program Design and Instructional Routines, lesson routines and differentiated instructional routines incorporate direct instruction, guided practice, independent practice, collaborative partner discussions, oral language routines, differentiated small-group instruction, and independent application activities. The materials also provide guidance for flexible grouping and transitions between whole-group, small-group, and independent learning opportunities through recurring instructional routines and differentiated instructional pathways.
For example, in unit 3, lesson 31 incorporates educator modeling, direct instruction, guided practice, read-alouds, choral reading, partner reading, and turn-and-talk opportunities. Similarly, unit 6, lesson 76 includes direct instruction, guided practice, age-appropriate visuals, opportunities for student discourse, peer feedback, and gestures to reinforce learning. These varied instructional practices support active student engagement and provide multiple pathways for students to access and demonstrate understanding of the content. Embedded educator notes provide recommendations for monitoring student progress and delivering individualized support throughout the lesson.
Evaluation for 3.2c
In Program Design and Instructional Routines, lesson routines and differentiated instructional routines incorporate guided practice, independent practice, collaborative partner discussions, oral language activities, writing application, fluency practice, and differentiated small-group instruction. The materials also provide recommendations for whole-group instruction, targeted small-group instruction, independent practice, flexible grouping, and differentiated instructional pathways organized by student performance levels.
For example, the “Differentiated Comprehension” document guides educators in using multilevel text sets, including options for read-alouds or shared reading in guided practice, and partner, small-group, or independent reading. The document also includes a sample instructional flow that helps educators flexibly implement lessons using the grouping structure most appropriate to student needs.
Evaluation for 3.3a
The materials include educator guidance for providing linguistic accommodations that support multilingual learners in developing academic language. The “Integrated Multilingual Learner Supports” section and embedded lesson supports provide accommodations such as visuals and gestures, sentence frames, oral rehearsal opportunities, partner discussions, explicit vocabulary instruction, cognate connections, translanguaging practices, and structured response stems. The materials also include guidance for supporting oral language development through collaborative discussions, questioning routines, and opportunities for students to act out vocabulary and concepts before responding verbally.
The materials contain an ELPS proficiency-level crosswalk and linguistic accommodations guidance. The proficiency-level crosswalk provides the specific ELPS level, Ascend level, support level, and instructional emphasis. Other guidance includes linguistic scaffolds as English proficiency develops and for leveraging home-language and cross-linguistic connections within oral, reading, and writing experiences.
Evaluation for 3.3b
The materials include supports designed to assist multilingual learners during instruction. The “Integrated Multilingual Learner Supports” section provides guidance for implementing language supports within lessons, and the materials include accommodations such as sentence frames, oral language routines, visuals, gestures, cognate connections, translanguaging practices, and embedded scaffolds to support language development. Additionally, the “Evidence of ELPS Alignment” document identifies connections to the ELPS and highlights how language supports are incorporated throughout the program.
The Learner Variability framework contains information on emergent bilingual (EB) students and considerations of language proficiency. The framework emphasizes the use of embedded educator supports, oral language routines, background knowledge and vocabulary, writing and application experiences, translated resources, and differentiated practice opportunities.
Evaluation for 3.3c
The materials include embedded guidance to support EB students in developing academic vocabulary, increasing comprehension, and building background knowledge through oral discourse. Multilingual learner supports include visuals and gestures, sentence frames, oral language routines, explicit vocabulary instruction, partner discussions, collaborative questioning, and oral rehearsal opportunities. For example, in lesson 91, the “Multilingual Support” note suggests acting out excitement with big smiles and clapping hands and instructs the educator to use the sentence frame “Farmer John feels _______ about the tractor because _______.”
The materials also support EB students in developing academic vocabulary, increasing comprehension, and building background knowledge through written discourse. In lesson 12, the educator builds background knowledge by asking students to write about an award they deserve and three reasons they earned it. The educator uses a word bank to support students’ use of related vocabulary in their writing. The educator gives the students various sentence frames, such as “I deserve the award for _______” and “I earned it because, first _______ ,” to support students in writing coherently about their topic.
The materials provide limited support for cross-linguistic connections through oral and written discourse. While EB student supports recommend that students think, write, or discuss their responses in their home language before translating them into English, the materials do not provide consistent guidance on how to implement these supports. For example, in lesson 1, the “Multilingual Support” note addresses differences in phonemes across languages and includes practice with minimal pairs; however, the support focuses on pronunciation practice rather than guiding students to explicitly compare linguistic structures across languages. As a result, the materials support academic vocabulary, comprehension, and background knowledge development but do not consistently support cross-linguistic connections in oral and written discourse.
Evaluation for 3.3d
This guidance is not applicable 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 include paired instructional routines designed to support students who have not yet reached proficiency. For example, the Decodable Reader Developing routine and Alphabet Book Developing routine provide explicit educator modeling, guided practice, oral language routines, corrective feedback, Elkonin box routines, sound tapping, tracking routines, and guided reading opportunities aligned to targeted phonics skills. The materials further support differentiated instruction through scaffolds provided in the “Notes” panel, including questioning prompts, articulation supports, multilingual supports, and instructional guidance that helps students access and engage with grade-level content and skills.
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
Lesson 31 includes a “Background Knowledge and Vocabulary” section that builds context before reading by connecting students to the idea of finding something just right. The lesson pre-teaches vocabulary such as invisible, squinted, reflecting, discovered, and truly through visuals, actions, definitions, repeated practice, sentence examples, and oral language activities before students read The Invisible Gecko. Additionally, sentence stems embedded within both oral language activities and the “Notes” panel support students in using newly learned vocabulary during discussions and written responses.
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 include enrichment and extension activities designed for proficient learners. For example, the Decodable Reader Proficient routine and the Alphabet Books Proficient routine support independent application of phonics patterns, fluent reading, oral language development, and transfer of grade-level literacy skills. Additional extension opportunities include Write and Share, Act It Out, Talk About the Story, Make a Connection, What Comes Next, and Partner Word Challenge; independent reading activities; and creative writing tasks that promote deeper thinking and application of learned skills.
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 include guidance to support educators in modeling and explaining concepts. The “Lesson Planning: Scripted & Supported Instruction” section explains that lessons include point-of-use educator guidance, lesson targets, interactive scripting, educator tips, and instructional supports to guide lesson delivery. Throughout the lessons, oral language discussion prompts, sentence frames, and model responses provide additional support for educators as they facilitate instruction. For example, in unit 3, lesson 31, an “Instructional Support” note guides educators in visually modeling phoneme segmentation by directing students to “Tap the sounds down your left arm, starting at the shoulder and moving toward the hand.” An additional note offers an alternative modeling strategy using sound chips and Elkonin boxes. These supports help educators effectively model comprehension strategies and reinforce evidence-based discussions
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
For example, in unit 3, lesson 31 incorporates educator modeling, direct instruction, guided practice, read-alouds, choral reading, partner reading, and turn-and-talk opportunities. Similarly, unit 6, lesson 76 includes direct instruction, guided practice, age-appropriate visuals, opportunities for student discourse, peer feedback, and gestures to reinforce learning. These varied instructional practices support active student engagement and provide multiple pathways for students to access and demonstrate understanding of the content. Embedded educator notes provide recommendations for monitoring student progress and delivering individualized support throughout the lesson.
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
For example, the “Differentiated Comprehension” document guides educators in using multilevel text sets, including options for read-alouds or shared reading in guided practice, and partner, small-group, or independent reading. The document also includes a sample instructional flow that helps educators flexibly implement lessons using the grouping structure most appropriate to student needs.
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 contain an ELPS proficiency-level crosswalk and linguistic accommodations guidance. The proficiency-level crosswalk provides the specific ELPS level, Ascend level, support level, and instructional emphasis. Other guidance includes linguistic scaffolds as English proficiency develops and for leveraging home-language and cross-linguistic connections within oral, reading, and writing experiences.
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 Learner Variability framework contains information on emergent bilingual (EB) students and considerations of language proficiency. The framework emphasizes the use of embedded educator supports, oral language routines, background knowledge and vocabulary, writing and application experiences, translated resources, and differentiated practice opportunities.
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.
6 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.
6 out of 8 points
The materials also support EB students in developing academic vocabulary, increasing comprehension, and building background knowledge through written discourse. In lesson 12, the educator builds background knowledge by asking students to write about an award they deserve and three reasons they earned it. The educator uses a word bank to support students’ use of related vocabulary in their writing. The educator gives the students various sentence frames, such as “I deserve the award for _______” and “I earned it because, first _______ ,” to support students in writing coherently about their topic.
The materials provide limited support for cross-linguistic connections through oral and written discourse. While EB student supports recommend that students think, write, or discuss their responses in their home language before translating them into English, the materials do not provide consistent guidance on how to implement these supports. For example, in lesson 1, the “Multilingual Support” note addresses differences in phonemes across languages and includes practice with minimal pairs; however, the support focuses on pronunciation practice rather than guiding students to explicitly compare linguistic structures across languages. As a result, the materials support academic vocabulary, comprehension, and background knowledge development but do not consistently support cross-linguistic connections in oral and written discourse.
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
68% (21 out of 31 points)
Evaluation for 4.1a
The materials provide systematic and sequential phonics instruction and lessons that follow a structured scope and sequence of sound–symbol correspondences, building skills cumulatively from foundational to advanced decoding concepts. For example, in unit 1, lesson 1, the educator begins by introducing and directly teaching a review of the digraphs th, ch, sh, and wh, followed by student practice using a guided method. The educator then reviews consonant-l blends using the same sequence and concludes by introducing spelling applications of both rules through modeling and guided practice. This sequence provides repeated opportunities for students to apply previously learned phonics skills while developing more advanced word-analysis skills.
The materials guide educators to introduce each daily phonics lesson using a predictable routine. In the educator software, the educator introduces the sound–spelling pattern or phonics rule and models how to analyze and mark words that align with the new skill. Next, the educator guides students as they analyze and mark words, prompting them to follow along and check their work after spelling and marking. The skills advance to more complex spelling patterns in unit 7, in which the scope and sequence includes skills such as silent letters -mb, the consonant-le syllable, and the suffix -ly.
Evaluation for 4.1b
The materials provide explicit, ongoing practice opportunities for phonics skills through decodable texts. Through the “Differentiation Routines—Decodable Readers” resource, educators receive consistent guidance on using the included decodable readers with individual students or groups. This established routine directs educators to first use Elkonin boxes with the skill words listed on the back covers of the books to explicitly teach the target phonics pattern before transitioning students to practice applying that skill within the text.
Furthermore, students receive systematic opportunities to practice reading and spelling these phonics patterns in isolation during daily core instruction and dictation. For example, in lesson 31, Phonetic Skill 5, the educator scripts guide explicit modeling on how to analyze words with the long /e/ sound spelled ee and ea. During the guided We Do portion, the educator provides two or three words for students to write, analyze, and decode the spelling pattern, while the educator checks their work and models the correct coded analysis. Finally, during the independent You Do portion, students practice spelling and analyzing up to 10 educator-dictated words that intentionally review cumulative patterns, such as long /a/ spelled ai and ay.
Evaluation for 4.2a
Daily explicit phonics instruction features scripted educator modeling across every standard lesson, pausing only on designated Assess, Write, Apply days for weekly assessments. This structured approach is demonstrated in unit 3, lesson 31, Phonetic Skill 5, during which the educator focuses on matching the long /e/ sound to the ee and ea spelling patterns. The lesson begins with oral modeling, in which the educator demonstrates how to articulate the sound, shows correct mouth formation, and connects it to an anchor chart.
Following oral modeling, the educator transitions to written demonstration, using an explicit script to show students exactly how to spell and code the words on a display. The script instructs the educator to place an x under both vowels and draw a straight line through the second vowel while explaining to the class, “We mark a straight line through the second vowel in each word. This reminds us that the second vowel in an adjacent pair is silent.” This clear, step-by-step modeling ensures students fully understand both the phonetic mechanics and the structural expectations before they begin spelling the words on their own during guided practice.
Evaluation for 4.2b
Daily, purposeful lessons provide explicit guided phonics instruction and clear educator scripts. For example, in grade 2, lesson 32, Phonetic Skill 5, the educator identifies the target sound–spelling pattern, connects it to previous learning, and directly demonstrates how to read, spell, and mark words. Side-column notes guide educators to model the long /o/ sound with proper lip, tongue, and jaw placement and also suggest that instructors proactively support students by telling them which spelling a word uses as they master adjacent vowel patterns. During the lesson, students independently spell and mark words such as boat, toe, and coat, after which the educator addresses the whole group by modeling the correct coded answers and delivering general praise, such as “Let’s check your work” and “Great work proving the vowel sound in ‘coat.’”
However, the curriculum lacks guidance for educators on providing immediate, specific, and corrective student feedback when errors occur. There are no if-then scenarios built into the daily phonics lessons to help educators correct students who read a word incorrectly, and the feedback provided is primarily general and directed at the whole class rather than individual needs. Even within the “Differentiation” tab for decodable texts, the corrective guidance is not specific to phonics or decoding strategies. Instead, the resource merely instructs the educator to read the missed word aloud, have the learner repeat it, and then prompt them to reread the sentence. Ultimately, when students struggle to master a phonetic pattern, the materials simply direct the educator to reteach or review the lesson rather than offering constructive, actionable feedback to fix specific decoding misconceptions.
Evaluation for 4.2c
The materials provide structured daily opportunities for students to practice phonics skills through independent application and partnered learning. During independent practice, students use the Dictation Bank to spell and prove words on whiteboards or in notebooks by applying learned coding marks to target patterns, such as writing clean, keep, dream, and meet when studying the long /e/ sound spelled ee and ea. For collaborative practice, daily fluency lessons incorporate a multistep routine that moves from a choral reading of a passage—such as “The Need for Bees”—to partnered reading where the educator provides support as needed. Following the reading, students engage in a collaborative turn-and-talk activity to respond to comprehension prompts, such as discussing why bees are important for plants and trees.
However, the materials offer limited variety in their collaborative learning structures and restrict access to cooperative activities based on student proficiency. While partner and small-group activities exist within the differentiation section, they are largely educator led, and the curriculum permits students in only the proficient group to independently choose their partner or individual tasks. In contrast, partners in the developing and progressing groups are restricted to basic partner reading, oral language exercises, or word-finding drills, with no opportunities to collaboratively read and write these phonics patterns in independent activities away from the educator. Furthermore, the program lacks diverse collaborative frameworks that could better help all students construct knowledge, develop critical thinking, or build communication skills.
Evaluation for 4.3a
The cumulative design of the program is prominently featured in the decodable readers, which systematically combine new target skills with previously taught concepts. For example, the decodable reader A Nice Day includes the sentence “The sun glinting off the lake looks nice.” While this specific book focuses on current target skills from unit 2, lessons 21–24, such as the soft c, the -ke spelling pattern, and the suffix -ing, it intentionally incorporates phonics skill 1 and the -ng glued sound, which students learned earlier in unit 1, lessons 11–14.
Beyond core reading texts, the “Differentiation” tab on the educator dashboard provides targeted, multilevel resources to ensure all students receive continuous practice with these phonics skills. For students in the developing pathway, the program offers a word-level practice document filled with decodable cards, word cards, and interactive roll-and-read activities. Meanwhile, students in the progressing pathway are supported with sentence-level practice that contains decodable sentences and fluency pyramids, allowing for structured skill reinforcement at varying levels of text complexity.
Evaluation for 4.3b
In unit 3, lesson 31, the educator explicitly teaches the ee and ea pattern for the long /e/ sound. In the Dictation Bank portion of the lesson, students independently practice encoding and decoding skill words that include words with only the ee and ea patterns (e.g., clean, keep, dream, meet). Students then independently practice encoding and decoding review words that include words with patterns that have been previously taught (lay, plain, bay). This structure is seen in each daily phonics lesson throughout the program.
Beyond introducing new patterns, these books function as a tool for cumulative review by weaving previously taught skills into new reading material. A clear example of this is found in the text Time to Leave, which targets the /k/ spelling pattern (as in week) and the various sounds of the -ed suffix (as in cruised), aligning directly with the focus of unit 3, lessons 36–39. Concurrently, the text reinforces prior knowledge by incorporating words such as nice and time, allowing students to practice the soft-c sound and Phonetic Skill 4, which they originally learned during unit 2, lessons 21–24.
Evaluation for 4.3c
The “Program Architecture Overview” explains that decodable readers provide targeted practice with previously taught phonics patterns and high-frequency words while supporting the application of newly learned skills. As students progress through the scope and sequence, decodable texts increase in complexity and provide opportunities to apply previously taught spelling patterns.This design allows students to continuously reinforce previously taught phonics skills while building new decoding knowledge.
For example, students read fluency paragraphs daily to practice decoding new and previously used phonics skills. These paragraphs immediately give students practice in connected text and require them to draw on both new and prior knowledge. In unit 3, week 1, lesson 32, the fluency paragraph includes words from past lessons and units, such as lay (unit 2), seek (unit 3, week 1, lesson 31), and fill (unit 1).
Evaluation for 4.3d
The materials follow a scaffolded progression: Educators first guide students through a new phonics skill, then students spell and read words in isolation. Next, students read a decodable text to apply new skills in connected text. For example, in unit 3, lesson 31, students listen to the sound in words, learn that ee and ea make the long /e/ sound in some words, and practice spelling this new pattern with the educator’s guidance. Then, students independently spell individual words. Later, they read individual words such as bleach, sleep, and sea, which leads to reading sentences with long-e words. Finally, students finish the lesson by reading a short fluency paragraph with many words that have long e spelled ee or ea.
The lessons provide students with opportunities to practice decoding words both in isolation and within decodable, connected texts. For example, in phonics lesson 51, educators introduce the target skill of adding suffixes to vowel-r words. Students decode and mark up words such as formed, stirring, and barking. Later, in the fluency portion of the lesson, students read marching and whirling, followed by a fluency passage containing words such as stirring and turned.
Evaluation for 4.4a
The materials include a variety of developmentally appropriate assessment tools, such as daily checks, weekly checkpoints, unit assessments, and benchmark assessments. These assessments align with students’ grade-level literacy development and instructional progression. Each unit features an Assess, Write, Apply checkpoint to help educators monitor understanding. According to the “Program Architecture Overview,” educators administer benchmark assessments three times a year, unit assessments once a month, unit checkpoints every fifth lesson, and daily checks in each lesson. The document outlines when to use each assessment and describes its specific purpose.
The materials also include additional developmentally appropriate assessment tools and embedded assessment opportunities. At the end of every unit, educators administer a unit checkpoint to measure how well students have acquired and retained the skills taught. Each checkpoint features selected-response items, constructed-response or extended writing tasks, spelling or language application tasks, reading comprehension and analysis, and performance-based tasks that align with unit objectives. For example, in unit 5, the checkpoint in lesson 75 asks students to encode and decode words using the unit’s phonics skills, read and select high-frequency words within sentences, complete an oral reading fluency passage, and answer multiple-choice comprehension questions about a reading passage.
Evaluation for 4.4b
Weekly checkpoints are aligned to lesson and unit objectives. Educators use these checkpoints to test students’ mastery of new skills and assess retention of previously taught material. However, because the weekly checkpoints measure different skills and concepts each week, they do not serve as progress monitoring tools. This approach makes it difficult to track student progress with specific skills over time. For example, in unit 3, week 1, the weekly checkpoint assesses students’ ability to decode and encode words with long /o/ spelled oe and oa, long /u/ sound spelled ui and ue, and long /i/ spelled ie. In week 2, the checkpoint tests students’ decoding and encoding of words ending in silent e, words with -ed as /d/ or /t/, and spelling patterns repeated from the previous week. The program does not offer assessments to monitor students’ progress with prerequisite skills from the phonological awareness lessons.
The “Data” tab on the educator dashboard displays some progress monitoring information, but reviewers cannot access all features, making it difficult to evaluate the available data. The dashboard presents data for the whole class, but clicking “Student” does not display individual student data in a sample class. A drop-down menu shows different types of assessments, but only weekly checkpoints appear—unit checkpoints and benchmarks are missing. Instructional insights are samples and show only a single week. The dashboard breaks down accuracy by reading, spelling, high-frequency words, and comprehension but not by specific skill or assessment task. The program charts weekly growth but uses sample images that don’t reflect what an educator would actually see in the “Data” tab.
Evaluation for 4.4c
The materials offer a variety of assessments throughout each unit to measure student progress in reading, spelling, high-frequency words, and comprehension. Educators use embedded daily checks as formative assessments during each lesson to gather evidence of students’ understanding in phonics, high-frequency words, fluency, comprehension, and grammar. Weekly checkpoints provide educators with frequent formative data on student mastery of previously taught skills across these domains. While these assessments yield useful data, they do not align with any progress monitoring tool that tracks achievement in specific concepts.
The program provides several assessment opportunities throughout the school year, but none aligns with progress monitoring tools. For example, educators use unit checkpoints to assess students’ mastery of concepts taught throughout the unit and analyze the data to identify instructional needs. However, the program does not connect unit checkpoints or any assessments to a progress monitoring system, leaving educators without tools to track student progress on specific concepts over time.
Evaluation for 4.5a
The educator software provides class- and student-level data dashboards with embedded instructional insights, weekly checkpoint reports, domain-level accuracy trends, and recommended next instructional steps. These features support educators in progress monitoring, reteaching, differentiation, and targeted intervention. However, the assessments or administration materials do not include the ability to track individual student progress or make instructional decisions.
According to the program’s design and routines, educators use weekly checkpoint reports to identify students’ performance tiers, adjust instruction as needed, and flag students who may require intervention. However, individual student reports were not provided.
Evaluation for 4.5b
The materials include data-management tools for tracking whole-class student progress to analyze patterns of student performance. The “Data” tab in the educator software provides class-level reporting that organizes assessment results across literacy domains, including reading, spelling, high-frequency words, and comprehension. Data from benchmark assessments, weekly checkpoints, unit assessments, and embedded instructional assessments are summarized through class-level reports and performance summaries that allow educators to view trends in accuracy and achievement across the class. These tools help educators identify class-wide patterns, strengths, and areas of growth across literacy skills.
The materials also include data-management tools for analyzing the needs of students. Class-level data is connected to instructional insights, literacy profiles, instructional performance levels, and the “Differentiation Planning Template,” allowing educators to identify instructional gaps and determine appropriate next steps. The system supports regrouping students, selecting targeted instructional supports, planning reteaching and intervention opportunities, and adjusting instructional focus based on patterns identified through whole-class assessment data. These tools enable educators to analyze student needs and make instructional decisions that respond to class-wide performance trends.
Evaluation for 4.5c
The materials include an educator dashboard with a “Data” tab that displays class and individual student performance data to support daily instructional decisions, including differentiation and student grouping. Weekly checkpoints are administered every fifth lesson, and Program and Instructional Routines outlines the available assessments. Additionally, the document references a separate program, Ascend Focus, which appears to include progress monitoring tools and related guidance, although those materials are not available for review.
The materials do not include specific guidance for determining the frequency of progress monitoring based on students’ strengths or needs. All students complete assessments on the same five-lesson schedule rather than at intervals adjusted according to individual performance. Although the weekly checkpoints provide assessment data, they measure different skills over time and do not function as progress monitoring tools that repeatedly measure the same skill. As a result, there is no evidence that the program provides a dedicated progress monitoring tool or guidance for adjusting monitoring frequency based on students’ strengths or instructional needs.
Evaluation for 4.5d
The materials include guidance for accelerating learning based on assessment data. The “Lesson and Unit Planning Protocol” directs educators to use daily, weekly, and unit assessment results to inform instruction, while the “Weekly Data Interpretation” protocol guides educators in using the educator dashboard to identify students in the developing, progressing, and proficient tiers. The “Differentiation” tab provides instructional resources to extend learning for proficient students. Additionally, the Program Design and Instructional Routines document recommends adjusting instruction in real time, providing same-day reteaching or targeted scaffolding, offering small-group or individualized support, and maintaining a continuous feedback loop to help students reach mastery of specific concepts.
The materials do not include guidance on accelerating learning using progress monitoring data. Instead, the recommended instructional adjustments are based on data from weekly and unit checkpoints, which are assessments rather than progress monitoring tools, as they measure different skills over time. Since the program does not provide a dedicated progress monitoring tool for review, there is no evidence that acceleration decisions are driven by progress monitoring data.
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 guide educators to introduce each daily phonics lesson using a predictable routine. In the educator software, the educator introduces the sound–spelling pattern or phonics rule and models how to analyze and mark words that align with the new skill. Next, the educator guides students as they analyze and mark words, prompting them to follow along and check their work after spelling and marking. The skills advance to more complex spelling patterns in unit 7, in which the scope and sequence includes skills such as silent letters -mb, the consonant-le syllable, and the suffix -ly.
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
Furthermore, students receive systematic opportunities to practice reading and spelling these phonics patterns in isolation during daily core instruction and dictation. For example, in lesson 31, Phonetic Skill 5, the educator scripts guide explicit modeling on how to analyze words with the long /e/ sound spelled ee and ea. During the guided We Do portion, the educator provides two or three words for students to write, analyze, and decode the spelling pattern, while the educator checks their work and models the correct coded analysis. Finally, during the independent You Do portion, students practice spelling and analyzing up to 10 educator-dictated words that intentionally review cumulative patterns, such as long /a/ spelled ai and ay.
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
Following oral modeling, the educator transitions to written demonstration, using an explicit script to show students exactly how to spell and code the words on a display. The script instructs the educator to place an x under both vowels and draw a straight line through the second vowel while explaining to the class, “We mark a straight line through the second vowel in each word. This reminds us that the second vowel in an adjacent pair is silent.” This clear, step-by-step modeling ensures students fully understand both the phonetic mechanics and the structural expectations before they begin spelling the words on their own during guided practice.
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.
1 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.
1 out of 3 points
However, the curriculum lacks guidance for educators on providing immediate, specific, and corrective student feedback when errors occur. There are no if-then scenarios built into the daily phonics lessons to help educators correct students who read a word incorrectly, and the feedback provided is primarily general and directed at the whole class rather than individual needs. Even within the “Differentiation” tab for decodable texts, the corrective guidance is not specific to phonics or decoding strategies. Instead, the resource merely instructs the educator to read the missed word aloud, have the learner repeat it, and then prompt them to reread the sentence. Ultimately, when students struggle to master a phonetic pattern, the materials simply direct the educator to reteach or review the lesson rather than offering constructive, actionable feedback to fix specific decoding misconceptions.
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.
3 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.
3 out of 4 points
However, the materials offer limited variety in their collaborative learning structures and restrict access to cooperative activities based on student proficiency. While partner and small-group activities exist within the differentiation section, they are largely educator led, and the curriculum permits students in only the proficient group to independently choose their partner or individual tasks. In contrast, partners in the developing and progressing groups are restricted to basic partner reading, oral language exercises, or word-finding drills, with no opportunities to collaboratively read and write these phonics patterns in independent activities away from the educator. Furthermore, the program lacks diverse collaborative frameworks that could better help all students construct knowledge, develop critical thinking, or build communication 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
Beyond core reading texts, the “Differentiation” tab on the educator dashboard provides targeted, multilevel resources to ensure all students receive continuous practice with these phonics skills. For students in the developing pathway, the program offers a word-level practice document filled with decodable cards, word cards, and interactive roll-and-read activities. Meanwhile, students in the progressing pathway are supported with sentence-level practice that contains decodable sentences and fluency pyramids, allowing for structured skill reinforcement at varying levels of text complexity.
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
Beyond introducing new patterns, these books function as a tool for cumulative review by weaving previously taught skills into new reading material. A clear example of this is found in the text Time to Leave, which targets the /k/ spelling pattern (as in week) and the various sounds of the -ed suffix (as in cruised), aligning directly with the focus of unit 3, lessons 36–39. Concurrently, the text reinforces prior knowledge by incorporating words such as nice and time, allowing students to practice the soft-c sound and Phonetic Skill 4, which they originally learned during unit 2, lessons 21–24.
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
For example, students read fluency paragraphs daily to practice decoding new and previously used phonics skills. These paragraphs immediately give students practice in connected text and require them to draw on both new and prior knowledge. In unit 3, week 1, lesson 32, the fluency paragraph includes words from past lessons and units, such as lay (unit 2), seek (unit 3, week 1, lesson 31), and fill (unit 1).
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 lessons provide students with opportunities to practice decoding words both in isolation and within decodable, connected texts. For example, in phonics lesson 51, educators introduce the target skill of adding suffixes to vowel-r words. Students decode and mark up words such as formed, stirring, and barking. Later, in the fluency portion of the lesson, students read marching and whirling, followed by a fluency passage containing words such as stirring and turned.
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 additional developmentally appropriate assessment tools and embedded assessment opportunities. At the end of every unit, educators administer a unit checkpoint to measure how well students have acquired and retained the skills taught. Each checkpoint features selected-response items, constructed-response or extended writing tasks, spelling or language application tasks, reading comprehension and analysis, and performance-based tasks that align with unit objectives. For example, in unit 5, the checkpoint in lesson 75 asks students to encode and decode words using the unit’s phonics skills, read and select high-frequency words within sentences, complete an oral reading fluency passage, and answer multiple-choice comprehension questions about a reading passage.
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.
0 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.
0 out of 2 points
The “Data” tab on the educator dashboard displays some progress monitoring information, but reviewers cannot access all features, making it difficult to evaluate the available data. The dashboard presents data for the whole class, but clicking “Student” does not display individual student data in a sample class. A drop-down menu shows different types of assessments, but only weekly checkpoints appear—unit checkpoints and benchmarks are missing. Instructional insights are samples and show only a single week. The dashboard breaks down accuracy by reading, spelling, high-frequency words, and comprehension but not by specific skill or assessment task. The program charts weekly growth but uses sample images that don’t reflect what an educator would actually see in the “Data” tab.
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.
0 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.
0 out of 1 points
The program provides several assessment opportunities throughout the school year, but none aligns with progress monitoring tools. For example, educators use unit checkpoints to assess students’ mastery of concepts taught throughout the unit and analyze the data to identify instructional needs. However, the program does not connect unit checkpoints or any assessments to a progress monitoring system, leaving educators without tools to track student progress on specific concepts over time.
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.
0 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.
0 out of 1 points
According to the program’s design and routines, educators use weekly checkpoint reports to identify students’ performance tiers, adjust instruction as needed, and flag students who may require intervention. However, individual student reports were not provided.
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 include data-management tools for analyzing the needs of students. Class-level data is connected to instructional insights, literacy profiles, instructional performance levels, and the “Differentiation Planning Template,” allowing educators to identify instructional gaps and determine appropriate next steps. The system supports regrouping students, selecting targeted instructional supports, planning reteaching and intervention opportunities, and adjusting instructional focus based on patterns identified through whole-class assessment data. These tools enable educators to analyze student needs and make instructional decisions that respond to class-wide performance trends.
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.
0 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.
0 out of 2 points
The materials do not include specific guidance for determining the frequency of progress monitoring based on students’ strengths or needs. All students complete assessments on the same five-lesson schedule rather than at intervals adjusted according to individual performance. Although the weekly checkpoints provide assessment data, they measure different skills over time and do not function as progress monitoring tools that repeatedly measure the same skill. As a result, there is no evidence that the program provides a dedicated progress monitoring tool or guidance for adjusting monitoring frequency based on students’ strengths or instructional needs.
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.
0 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.
0 out of 1 points
The materials do not include guidance on accelerating learning using progress monitoring data. Instead, the recommended instructional adjustments are based on data from weekly and unit checkpoints, which are assessments rather than progress monitoring tools, as they measure different skills over time. Since the program does not provide a dedicated progress monitoring tool for review, there is no evidence that acceleration decisions are driven by progress monitoring data.
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
79% (118 out of 150 points)
Evaluation for 5.A.1a
This guidance is not applicable to grade 2 and grade 3 because it only applies to kindergarten and grade 1.
Evaluation for 5.A.1b
This guidance is not applicable to grade 2 and grade 3 because it only applies to kindergarten and grade 1.
Evaluation for 5.B.1a
Throughout the program, educators explicitly model oral language skills, guide students through structured practice, provide feedback, and gradually release responsibility for independent application. For example, in lesson 111, educators explicitly teach the difference between formal and informal language by modeling each type, guiding students as they practice distinguishing between them, providing corrective feedback, and having students independently change sentences from formal to informal. In lesson 34, students orally describe an animal with camouflage to a partner before writing, providing an opportunity to rehearse language and organize ideas through structured discussion.
The materials also include systematic instructional guidance for developing oral language and oracy through recurring instructional routines. Oral language activities are embedded throughout comprehension, writing, grammar, and vocabulary instruction, providing repeated opportunities for students to engage in collaborative conversations using newly learned concepts. Throughout the lessons, students regularly participate in turn-and-talk routines in which educators model discussion expectations, provide sentence stems, and prompt students to listen and respond to partners. For example, in unit 2, lesson 17, students prepare to write a postcard by sharing a place they have visited, describing their first impressions and answering a partner’s question using educator-provided sentence starters such as “The first thing I noticed was ___.” These recurring instructional routines provide systematic opportunities for modeling, guided practice, collaborative discussion, and independent oral language application throughout the curriculum.
The materials include additional instructional guidance that develops oral language and oracy through coaching, feedback, and differentiated practice. Educators consistently scaffold student discussions through sentence stems, partner conversations, and educator feedback that supports students in expressing complete ideas. Across lessons, educators circulate during partner discussions to coach students, reinforce appropriate language use, and provide feedback before students independently apply oral language skills during writing and comprehension activities. Together, these instructional routines provide explicit and systematic guidance through modeling, guided practice, coaching, feedback, and independent oral language practice.
Evaluation for 5.B.1b
The materials include opportunities for students to engage in social communication for various purposes, but opportunities to communicate with different audiences are limited. Throughout instruction, students participate in daily turn-and-talk activities that encourage them to share ideas, discuss personal experiences, and respond to partners. For example, in unit 2, lesson 17, students share a place they have visited, describe their first impressions, and answer a partner’s questions before writing. However, these social communication opportunities are consistently limited to partner interactions, with little evidence of students communicating socially with small groups, the whole class, or other audiences.
The materials include opportunities for students to engage in academic communication for different purposes and audiences. In the Decodable Reader Progressing routines, students predict events before reading, share questions with a partner, locate words that contain targeted phonics patterns after reading, and participate in educator-led whole-class discussions about text meaning and text features. Throughout comprehension instruction, educators frequently ask students to explain their thinking and justify responses. For example, in lesson 46, students identify a character’s traits and behaviors before providing textual evidence to support their claims. While students regularly explain their thinking during academic discussions, the materials do not consistently teach students to respond directly to peers by building on or respectfully challenging classmates’ ideas, and opportunities for academic communication beyond partner discussions remain limited.
Evaluation for 5.B.1c
The materials include authentic opportunities for students to listen actively and ask questions to understand information. Throughout writing and comprehension lessons, students participate in structured partner discussions that require them to listen carefully, respond to classmates, and ask clarifying questions. For example, in unit 3, lesson 32, students brainstorm ideas for a narrative about disguising themselves with a superpower, share their ideas with a partner, and answer a partner’s question about their disguise. This activity requires students to listen actively and ask thoughtful questions that deepen their understanding of a peer’s ideas.
The materials also provide authentic opportunities for students to engage in discussion to deepen their understanding of the information. Throughout the curriculum, students participate in recurring turn-and-talk routines that encourage collaborative thinking before reading, writing, and responding to comprehension questions. In lesson 114, students explain one step of the water cycle to a partner using formal language before writing, reinforcing content understanding through oral discussion and active listening.
The materials provide authentic opportunities for students to share information and ideas across recurring oral language routines. Students regularly communicate their thinking during partner discussions, collaborative conversations, and whole-class discussions connected to each unit’s Essential Question. For example, at the end of unit 4, students discuss moral lessons across texts, explain how different cultures tell stories, and support their responses with text evidence. These recurring opportunities support students in listening, questioning, discussing, and sharing information across authentic literacy experiences.
Evaluation for 5.C.1a
This guidance is not applicable to grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3 because it only applies to kindergarten.
Evaluation for 5.C.1b
This guidance is not applicable to grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3 because it only applies to kindergarten.
Evaluation for 5.C.1c
This guidance is not applicable to grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3 because it only applies to kindergarten.
Evaluation for 5.C.1d
This guidance is not applicable to grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3 because it only applies to kindergarten.
Evaluation for 5.C.2a
The materials introduce letter–sound relationships explicitly and systematically, using a cumulative sequence that moves from simple to complex phonics patterns. Educators provide direct instruction before students begin decoding. In lesson 31, educators remind students, “We’ve learned to spell the sound /e/ with the letters ‘e’ and ‘e’ with silent e; now we will learn another way to spell /e/.” Educators introduce the sound, demonstrate mouth formation, and guide students to practice saying /e/. Students then decode and encode words with the targeted sound.
Daily phonics lessons explicitly and systematically introduce letter–sound relationships in a logical order that supports encoding and decoding. In unit 2, lesson 16, educators begin by reviewing the /k/ sound at the start of words (car, kite, kitchen) and remind students that c and k can spell /k/. Educators then teach that -ck also spells /k/ in one-syllable words after a short vowel, using sick as an example. Educators show students how to mark the vowel and explain that two consonants spelling one sound act as a “guardian consonant,” making the vowel short. Educators guide students to encode words that follow this pattern (pack, deck, quack) and check their decoding by marking vowels and identifying guardian consonants. All phonics lessons use this explicit, systematic routine for new letter–sound relationships.
Evaluation for 5.C.2b
The materials provide explicit guidance for bridging phonemes to letters within words through scripted lessons. Educators use these lessons to help students match phonemes to letter sounds. For example, in unit 3, lesson 31, educators prompt students to identify the beginning sound in words like eat, even, and eagle and then demonstrate how to form the long /e/ sound. Educators are introduced to the ee and ea spelling patterns but do not receive guidance on addressing student misconceptions or errors related to the long /e/ sound and its spelling.
“Common Misconceptions” notes are included in some lesson sidebars, but these notes guide educators in preventing misconceptions rather than providing feedback to students. For example, in unit 2, lesson 29, educators explicitly teach Phonetic Skill 5 (ai and ay), and a sidebar note explains how to clarify the role of consonants after adjacent vowels. The note instructs educators to explain that a guardian consonant follows only one vowel, not two. While this information helps educators avoid misconceptions during instruction, it does not recommend providing explanatory feedback to students based on their errors or misconceptions when learning to connect phonemes and letters.
Evaluation for 5.C.2c
The materials include a variety of activities and resources to help students develop their understanding of how to apply letter–sound correspondence to decode one-syllable and multisyllable words, both in isolation and in decodable connected text. During explicit phonics instruction, students develop decoding skills through sound–spelling instruction, blending routines, word reading, spelling, dictation, and fluency practice. For example, in lesson 3, educators explicitly model how to blend individual phonemes to decode one-syllable words with r-blends. During the fluency routine, educators model decoding words in connected text using a think-aloud, such as “When I read the word trap, I said each sound: /t/ /r/ /a/ /p/, trap.” Students then apply these letter–sound correspondences while reading decodable passages containing newly taught and previously learned phonics patterns. Throughout the year, students also apply these decoding routines to multisyllabic words during daily phonics instruction and differentiated practice.
The materials also provide a variety of activities and resources for students to practice applying letter–sound correspondence to decode one-syllable and multisyllable words in isolation and in decodable connected text. Students practice decoding through word reading, spelling, dictation, fluency activities, and repeated oral reading. The fluency lessons provide opportunities for choral, partner, and independent reading of decodable passages that incorporate targeted phonics patterns. In addition, the “Differentiation” tab provides word-level lists, sentence-level activities, fluency passages, and decodable readers that allow students to practice newly taught and previously learned letter–sound correspondences in isolated words and connected text.
The materials include a cumulative review that reinforces students’ understanding of applying letter–sound correspondence to decode one-syllable and multisyllable words in isolation and in decodable connected text. Each lesson revisits previously taught phonics skills through the Dictation Bank, review word lists, and connected reading activities. Students repeatedly decode previously taught phonics patterns while reading sentences, fluency passages, and decodable readers selected through the differentiation routines. These cumulative review opportunities strengthen students’ automatic application of letter–sound correspondence across both isolated words and authentic connected text.
Evaluation for 5.D.1a
The “My Journey” educator resource presents a sequence of phonological awareness activities that progress from identifying words in sentences to producing rhyming words and then to blending and segmenting onset and rime. The materials also include later phonemic awareness lessons in which students practice substituting consonant blends using supports such as Elkonin boxes and other physical cues.
However, the systematic sequence is not reflected in the daily instructional program or aligned to the grade-level TEKS. Daily whole-group lessons do not teach or practice producing rhyming words or distinguishing between long and short vowel sounds in one-syllable and multisyllabic words, and the materials provide no guidance for when or how educators should use the supplementary lessons. In addition, several phoneme substitution lessons contain errors. For example, lesson 149 directs students to say “stop” and then “glow” without identifying the sound change, and similar errors appear throughout the materials, interrupting the progression from simpler to more complex skills.
Evaluation for 5.D.1b
The materials include explicit instruction for teaching phonological awareness skills through daily warm-up activities and the “Phonological and Phonemic Awareness Instruction” educator resource. The lessons model skills such as blending phonemes, and the educator resource provides activities for word, rhyme, syllable, and phoneme awareness that can be used with whole groups, small groups, or individual students.
However, the materials do not include recommended explanatory feedback based on common errors or misconceptions. For example, in unit 1, lesson 1, educators model blending sounds to form the word sun and guide students in blending the word rain, but the only feedback provided is general praise, such as “Great job blending sounds!” The educator resource also lacks guidance for addressing likely student errors or misconceptions, offering no corrective prompts or instructional suggestions to support students who misunderstand the phonological awareness tasks.
Evaluation for 5.D.1c
The materials include activities for blending, segmenting, deleting, and adding phonemes through daily phonemic awareness warm-ups. Phonics lessons also incorporate oral routines in which educators model target sounds, connect them to the sound wall, and have students identify sounds in spoken words. These activities provide practice with phonemic awareness skills.
However, the materials do not include a variety of activities or memory-building strategies to develop, practice, and reinforce the grade 2 phonological awareness TEKS through cumulative review. Daily instruction focuses on phonemic awareness rather than the required phonological awareness skills, omitting activities for distinguishing long and short vowel sounds in one-syllable and multisyllabic words. For example, in unit 3, lesson 32, students identify the initial long /o/ sound in words such as oat, oval, and oboe, but they are not asked to distinguish between long and short vowel sounds. As a result, the required grade-level phonological awareness standard is not systematically developed, practiced, or reinforced.
Evaluation for 5.D.2a
The “My Journey” educator resource provides a logical progression of lessons, beginning with phoneme blending and advancing from segmenting two phonemes to substituting final phonemes. This progression provides a foundation for increasingly complex phonemic awareness instruction by moving from identifying individual phonemes to deleting, adding, and substituting sounds within spoken words.
The materials further include a systematic sequence that begins with blending and segmenting phonemes and advances to adding, deleting, and substituting sounds. For example, in lesson 2, students blend three sounds to form words such as nose. In lesson 14, students segment words such as pen. In lesson 101, students delete the ending sound in lamp to form lamb. Lesson 111 asks students to delete the beginning sound in broom to make room. In Lesson 116, students add a sound to far to make farm. Lesson 136 has students substitute one phoneme in rug to form run. The scope and sequence provides a systematic progression from identifying, blending, and segmenting phonemes to advanced phoneme manipulation skills.
Evaluation for 5.D.2b
The materials include explicit instruction for teaching phonemic awareness through daily phonemic awareness warm-ups. Educators model skills such as blending, segmenting, deleting, and manipulating phonemes using scripted lessons, gestures, arm motions, and Elkonin boxes. For example, in unit 1, lesson 1 models blending the sounds in sun, and in unit 7, lesson 102 uses arm motions to teach the deletion of final phonemes.
However, the materials do not include recommended explanatory feedback based on common errors or misconceptions. Feedback is limited to general praise, such as “Great job blending sounds!” and does not guide educators in addressing student misunderstandings. Although EB student supports encourage clear modeling, they do not identify likely errors or provide corrective feedback for common misconceptions.
Evaluation for 5.D.2c
The materials include explicit guidance for connecting phonemic awareness skills to the alphabetic principle to support students’ transition from oral language activities to basic decoding. For example, in every phonics lesson, students learn a new skill, and then they practice spelling words with that skill. The material contains a script that helps the educator bridge the gap between phonemic awareness and writing. In unit 3, lesson 32, the educator asks the students to identify the sounds in the word coat. After saying the sounds, the educator explicitly guides students into understanding the need to use oa in the word. The script says, “When we hear /ō/ in the middle of a word, we can use oa to spell that sound.” Then the educator writes the spelling of the word coat.
The materials also include explicit guidance for connecting phonemic awareness skills to the alphabetic principle to support students’ transition from oral language activities to basic encoding. For example, in unit 3, phonics lesson 31, the educator begins with a quick phonemic awareness exercise in which students are asked to identify the initial phoneme in a list of words (eat, even, eagle). After students identify the initial sound as the long /e/ sound, the educator connects it to previously learned sound–letter patterns (e and e with silent e) before introducing two new ways to spell the long /e/ sound: ea and ee. After explicitly teaching these new spelling patterns for long e, the educator shows a sample word for each pattern (team and bee) and leads students through making the vowel sounds in the word to decode it. Finally, after connecting the patterns to basic decoding, the educator then dictates three words containing these patterns for students to encode (sleep, read, see).
Evaluation for 5.D.2d
The materials include a variety of activities and resources to develop phonemic awareness skills. Daily phonemic awareness warm-ups provide explicit educator modeling, guided oral practice, and multisensory supports that help students blend, segment, delete, add, and substitute phonemes in spoken words. Educators use instructional routines that incorporate gestures, arm motions, sound modeling, and optional Elkonin boxes to make phoneme manipulation visible and concrete as students work with spoken words before connecting sounds to print.
The materials also provide a variety of activities and resources for students to practice phonemic awareness skills. Students participate in daily educator-led routines that include blending, segmenting, deleting, adding, and substituting phonemes using repeated oral rehearsal and multisensory supports. Throughout the lessons, educators model each skill before guiding students through oral practice using gestures, arm motions, and Elkonin boxes to reinforce phoneme manipulation. These instructional routines provide multiple opportunities for students to strengthen their phonemic awareness as they work with increasingly complex spoken words.
The materials do not include a cumulative review that reinforces phonemic awareness skills throughout the program. Although students engage in daily phonemic awareness warm-ups, each lesson focuses on a single phonemic awareness skill rather than revisiting previously taught skills. For example, in unit 10, lesson 137, students practice final-phoneme substitution without reviewing previously taught skills such as blending, segmenting, deleting, adding, or initial-phoneme substitution. As a result, the materials provide development and practice of phonemic awareness skills but do not consistently reinforce those skills through cumulative review across the curriculum.
Evaluation for 5.E.1a
The scope and sequence systematically progress from foundational letter–sound correspondences to increasingly complex phonics and morphology patterns across grade levels. In grade 2, students review grade 1 digraphs and end the year by adding suffixes to words. The lessons maintain a structured progression by reviewing grade 1 skills, such as decoding one-syllable words with digraphs and consonant blends in unit 1. By grade 2, unit 7, students advance to more complex sound–spelling patterns, including decoding and encoding words with final stable syllables.
The materials systematically review previously taught sound–spelling patterns before introducing more complex sound spelling patterns. For example, in unit 2, lesson 16, the educator begins by reviewing previously learned sound–spelling patterns that use c or k to spell the /k/ sound. The educator asks, “What sound do you hear at the beginning of these words: car, kite, kitchen? Yes. They all start with /k/. We’ve learned to spell the sound /k/ with the letters c and k.” Next, the educator introduces a new sound–spelling pattern and explains, “Another way to spell /k/ is with the letters -ck. In a one-syllable word, when the /k/ sound comes after a short vowel, we use the letters -ck to spell /k/, like in sick.”
Evaluation for 5.E.1b
In unit 3, lesson 33, the lesson offers a script for educators that begins by reinforcing prior learning of long-u patterns (u and u_e) before introducing the new long-u patterns (ue and ui). The lesson then instructs educators to directly teach that ui appears in the middle of words and ue appears at the end. The educator then leads a guided practice activity to show how students can encode words with those spelling patterns and use a coding system to prove how to spell the words. After completing guided practice, students write and code the words independently. Later in the reading lesson, students read words with ui and ue in isolation and then in connected text through sentences and a short fluency passage. The lesson guides the educator in explicit instruction and describes activities for whole-class, partner, or independent work so students can practice the skill and retain the new information.
The materials provide explicit instructions for educators on how to teach sound–spelling patterns and use a gradual-release model to ensure students understand the new spelling pattern and apply it repeatedly to read and write words. For example, in unit 5, lesson 63, students learn about long vowel combinations such as -old, -ost, and -olt. The lesson follows the predictable routine of all phonics lessons. The script states that “When certain letters follow the vowel o, the o goes from spelling its short sound to its long sound.” Educators provide words that fit this rule and discuss them before guiding students through practice spelling the new phonics skill. Students then independently practice encoding new words. Later in the lesson, the educator script prompts students to read isolated words, words in a sentence, and a short fluency paragraph containing multiple words that follow the new sound–spelling pattern. The structure of the lesson, the educator-provided script, and the activities ensure explicit instruction in sound–spelling patterns.
Evaluation for 5.E.1c
Each phonics lesson includes an educator script with consistent routines that include explicit review and instruction of new sound–spelling patterns. For example, in unit 3, lesson 33, the script directs educators to first review the long-u sound: “What sound do you hear at the end of these words? Too, zoo, grew? Yes. They all end with /ū/.” The script then explicitly teaches two new sound–spelling patterns for long u. The educator says, “We’ve learned to spell the sound /ū/ with the letters u and u with silent e. Now let’s uncover two more spellings. Another way to spell long u is with the letters ui. Another way to spell long u is with the letters ue.” The educator then guides students through example words that contain the new sound–spelling patterns.
The materials include educator guidance to provide explicit instruction for grade-level sound–spelling patterns. Partially scripted lessons throughout the daily lessons provide clear guidance for educators to model and explain grade-level sound–spelling patterns. For example, in lesson 9, the educator says, “When a double ‘l’ comes after the vowels ‘e’ and ‘i’ the vowels keep their sounds: short /e/ and short /i/” and then displays the words smell and will. Next, the educator explains and demonstrates how double-l changes the sound of the vowel when it follows u, a, and o, as in pull, all, and roll. Then, students practice spelling and reading words with the new sound–spelling pattern, such as call, full, troll, and smell.
Evaluation for 5.E.1d
The materials provide a variety of activities and resources to support students in encoding words that include taught sound–spelling patterns, both in isolation and in decodable text that builds on previous instruction. Every daily phonics lesson includes a spelling and dictation routine that allows students to practice encoding words in isolation from the target skill for the lesson. However, the Dictation Bank also includes review words for students to encode, building on previous instruction. Students also have the opportunity to encode words in isolation each week during the weekly checkpoints. The checkpoints require students to encode words that build on previously learned sound–spelling patterns. To support students in encoding words within sentences, some phonics lessons include a sentence dictation extension activity, in which students write educator-dictated sentences that include current and previously learned sound–spelling patterns. Weekly checkpoints also include sentence dictation, allowing students to write sentences that provide a cumulative review of sound–spelling patterns.
Weekly homework packets feature decodable passages that students are instructed to read and respond to in writing. To write a response, students must use the sound–spelling patterns in the passage. In week 2, students read a passage with words ending in double-l and then respond to the story by changing the ending, keeping the characters and plot points that align with the phonics pattern.
Evaluation for 5.E.2a
The materials introduce regular and irregular high-frequency words, but the program does not organize them in a systematic sequence. The scope and sequence introduces two high-frequency words per week. The sequence does not systematically introduce regular and irregular high-frequency words. Instead, it presents both types in no particular order and introduces some high-frequency words before teaching the corresponding sound–spelling patterns. For example, in unit 1, lessons 6 and 11 introduce the words around and away, and in unit 4, lesson 51 introduces the word again. Each of these words contains the schwa sound, but the program does not teach the schwa sound as a sound–spelling pattern until unit 7, lesson 99.
In the Supplementary Teacher Reference Materials, the “My Journey” educator resource contains the “High-Frequency Word Instruction” document. The document lists words from the educator software “Instruction” tab in the order educators introduce them. Beginning with the word want, the sequence introduces words without consistently progressing from less complex to more complex phonics features. The list distributes words with contractions, irregular spellings, and complex sound–spelling patterns throughout but does not introduce them according to decoding complexity. For example, want is followed by that’s, and through precedes friend and never. The list also intersperses contractions such as didn’t, you’re, let’s, and I’ll with less complex words that are not contractions. The materials do not provide a systematic sequence for introducing regular and irregular high-frequency words.
Evaluation for 5.E.2b
Each high-frequency word lesson uses a predictable, consistent routine. Educators lead students to decode and encode the high-frequency word over a two-day period through explicit instruction. For example, in unit 1, lesson 6, educators introduce the word around and instruct students to write the word three times. In unit 1, lesson 7, educators guide students in spelling the word correctly. Educators provide a sentence that uses the high-frequency word, read the sentence aloud, and have students write the sentence. Educators and students check the sentence together and then practice writing another sentence using the word around.
For each daily high-frequency word lesson, educators use a Tap It, Map It, Examine It, Read It, Write It routine. This routine helps students identify the sounds in the word, map the sounds, examine the spelling patterns or new spellings, read the word in sentences, and write the word three times. For example, in unit 1, lesson 6, educators teach the regular high-frequency word around. Educators ask, “Tell me the sounds in the word around. How many sounds are there?” Students draw lines for each sound on whiteboards or paper while educators guide them through mapping the sounds and explaining sound–spelling patterns that haven’t been taught yet. For the word around, educators say, “What’s the first sound in the word around? Here is a new spelling we have not learned yet. Write the letter a on the first line.” After mapping all sounds to spell the word, educators draw students’ attention to new parts. Educators say, “When we hear the sound /ŭ/, it can be spelled with the letter a. We have not learned this spelling yet.” Educators also say, “When we hear the sound /ou/, it can be spelled with the letters ou. We have not learned this spelling yet. Circle the letters ou to show this is a new spelling.” The class reads two sentences that contain the word around together. Finally, using whiteboards or paper, educators direct students to write the word around three times, saying the word and each letter as they spell it.
Evaluation for 5.E.2c
The materials include a variety of activities for students to develop and practice skills to decode and encode regular and irregular high-frequency words. In lesson 7, students segment the sounds in around, draw sound lines, map letters to sounds with educator guidance, and write the word. During instruction, the educator explicitly introduces the unfamiliar spellings by saying, “Here is a new spelling we have not learned yet. Write the letter ‘a’ on the first line,” and, “Here is a new spelling we have not learned yet. Write the letters ‘ou’ on the third line.” Students then examine the word, identify the special spellings, read the word, read it in a sentence, and write it three times while saying the letters aloud. In lesson 8, students review the special spellings in around, read the word, hear it used in a sentence, and then read the sentence themselves.
However, lessons do not implement this guidance. The “High-Frequency Word” document targets only developing readers because it is located in the “Differentiation” tab. The program does not teach high-frequency words to students at the “progressing” or “proficient” levels. The document provides explicit guidance for teaching decoding and encoding regular high-frequency words. However, it does not offer a variety of activities for developing, practicing, or reinforcing encoding high-frequency words. At the end of every fifth word lesson, students briefly review the last five words taught, but the program does not revisit those five words thereafter.
Evaluation for 5.E.2d
In lesson 6, students read the word around in isolation once, when the educator says, “Read the word.” The students also chorally read “The pups ran around the mud” and “Ron can trot around the path” with the educator. Also, in each daily high-frequency word lesson (such as in unit 1, lesson 6), students read the target word in isolation during the Read It portion of the lesson. Students also have an opportunity to read the high-frequency words in isolation and read them in connected text when they complete their weekly and unit checkpoints.
In unit 2, lessons 21–24, students learn and review the high-frequency word through the Tap It, Map It, Examine It, Read It, Write It, Review It, and Extend It routine found in each lesson. Students segment the sounds, map phonemes to graphemes, analyze the spelling pattern, read the word in isolation, and then read connected sentences such as “The car drove through the tunnel and Min ran through the mud and did not stop.” Students also spell the word while writing it three times and then discuss the word that was practiced with a partner. These routines provide multiple opportunities to read and write the high-frequency word in isolation and in connected text while reinforcing orthographic mapping and sound–spelling relationships.
Evaluation for 5.E.3a
The materials use different terminology from what the TEKS use. In this program, closed syllables are referred to as “Phonetic Skills 1 and 2,” open syllables are “Phonetic Skill 3,” VCe syllables are “Phonetic Skill 4,” vowel teams are “Phonetic Skill 5,” r-controlled syllables are called “vowel-r syllables,” and final stable syllables are called “consonant-le syllables.” Lessons in units 1–4 review the five syllable types, beginning with Phonetic Skill 1 in lesson 13, Phonetic Skill 2 in lesson 17, Phonetic Skill 3 in lesson 19, Phonetic Skill 4 in lesson 22, Phonetic Skill 5 in lessons 29–37, vowel-r syllables in lessons 47–51, and consonant-le syllables in lessons 103–106. This sequence systematically instructs students in grade-level syllable types and helps them decode multisyllabic words.
The scope and sequence shows that unit 6, lesson 81 introduces how to decode multisyllabic words containing the first five syllable types (Phonetic Skills 1–5 and vowel-r syllables). This lesson teaches one way to divide syllables using Decoding Skill 1: “Decoding Skill 1 tells us that when there is one consonant between two vowels, the consonant moves, or runs, with the next syllable.” This is the VCV syllable-division pattern. Unit 6, lesson 84 introduces Decoding Skill 2 as a second way to divide syllables: “Decoding Skill 2 tells us that when there are two consonants between two vowels, the consonants split.” This is the VCCV syllable-division pattern. Unit 6, lesson 86 teaches Decoding Skill 2 with double consonants. The materials present a clear, systematic sequence for introducing grade-level syllable-division principles as outlined in the TEKS.
Evaluation for 5.E.3b
The materials include educator guidance to provide explicit instruction for applying knowledge of syllable types to decode and encode multisyllabic words. In lesson 121, students spell words such as bicycle. The materials guide educators in providing explicit, direct instruction on applying knowledge of syllable types to decode and encode. In unit 2, lesson 22 provides a script for educators to teach students to apply syllable types to decode and encode one-syllable words. Using the word time as an example, the educator guides students to mark the vowels first. The educator then says, “Sometimes a word has more than one vowel. When e comes at the end of a word with another vowel, it is silent. It does not spell a sound; instead, it is there to tell us something important. This is Phonetic Skill 4, which tells us that the first vowel sound will be long when a vowel is followed by a consonant and silent e.” After guiding students in applying Phonetic Skill 4 to another word, educators provide explicit instruction on applying this skill to encoding one-syllable words (shape, those, fuse).
The grade 2 materials include educator guidance to provide explicit instruction for applying knowledge of syllable types to decode and encode one-syllable words. In lesson 22, the educator guides students to identify and mark the vowels in the word time while explaining, “This is Phonetic Skill 4, which tells us that the first vowel sound will be long when a vowel is followed by a consonant and silent e.” The educator and students work together to decode the words tap and tape and encode one-syllable words such as shape and those. Finally, students apply the phonetic skills while spelling words containing examples of the different syllable types, such as five and shade, before they watch the educator explain how the syllable type helps them check their work.
Evaluation for 5.E.3c
The phonics lessons guide students to build decoding and encoding skills for one-syllable words using syllable types and syllable-division principles. For example, in unit 1, lesson 13, the educator models encoding and decoding one-syllable words and then guides students through practice. Students then independently encode words such as map, red, and in and decode words in isolation, sentences, and short paragraphs focused on Phonetic Skill 1. These lessons follow a scaffolded, gradual-release model, providing multiple opportunities for students to develop new skills.
The lessons use the same structure for multisyllabic words. The educator models a new phonetic or decoding skill, and students participate in guided practice on spelling and proving words based on syllable types and division principles. Students read words in isolation, sentences, and short paragraphs with the class or a partner. Later, they independently encode multisyllabic words and read fluency paragraphs containing multisyllabic words. Each phonics lesson includes a cumulative review of previous skills. In lesson 13, students review glued sounds from a previous lesson by encoding link, king, and bunk and review decoding words such as long and drift in a fluency passage. These activities give students repeated opportunities to develop encoding and decoding skills for both one-syllable and multisyllabic words.
Evaluation for 5.E.3d
The materials offer activities and resources for students to practice decoding one-syllable and multisyllabic words using their knowledge of syllable types and syllable-division principles, both in isolation and in connected text that builds on previous instruction. Each daily phonics lesson provides guided activities during the spelling, Dictation Bank, and fluency portions, during which students decode one-syllable and multisyllabic words. For example, in unit 6, lesson 81, the educator uses the Dictation Bank with words such as began, recharge, viper, donate, delete, program, tiger, email, and clothing for students to spell and prove. The “Differentiation” tab offers word-level practice resources, such as decodable cards, word cards, and the roll-and-read game so students can practice decoding one-syllable and multisyllabic words in isolation. Each unit gives students opportunities to practice decoding words in connected text, including daily fluency passages (choral and partner reading) and weekly decodable books that align with target phonics skills and syllable types taught throughout the unit. These texts reinforce decoding skills through cumulative review of previously taught skills.
The weekly and unit checkpoints provide another opportunity for students to encode one-syllable and multisyllabic words using the phonics skills they have learned. In unit 6, week 2, the weekly checkpoint prompts students to encode the words sunset, educator, robot, corner, and napkin. Students use syllable types and syllable-division principles to spell words correctly. Students also encode both one-syllable and multisyllabic words when they participate in writing lessons from the material. In unit 7, lesson 82, for instance, the educator asks students to write their opinion about whether Mango (a character from a text they read) made the right choice to continue trying. Students share their opinions and supporting details, which requires them to encode both one-syllable and multisyllabic words. These writing tasks occur three times a week, so students have many opportunities to practice encoding words.
Evaluation for 5.E.4a
The materials use a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level morphemes, but they do not teach all the morphemes outlined in the TEKS. The sequence begins with the comparative and superlative suffixes that grade 2 students already know. Lesson 83 introduces the morpheme -er, and lesson 87 introduces -est. The program next covers common prefixes, teaching un- in lesson 97 and re- in lesson 102. In lesson 112, students learn -ly. The year concludes with more complex suffixes, such as -tion in lesson 136 and -sion in lesson 137. Although the TEKS require -ion to be taught in grade 3, the program does not include it in the scope and sequence.
The materials teach suffixes interwoven with phoneme lessons but do not group these lessons together into meaningful chunks within a unit. For example, lesson 8 teaches the suffix -es in the first unit. Students learn to apply -es to nouns and verbs, but the program does not use the word plural when referring to nouns with -es added. The lessons explain that adding -es creates an additional syllable, but the curriculum delays the study of syllable types for many units and continues to focus on one-syllable words in phonics for an extended period.
Evaluation for 5.E.4b
The materials include educator guidance to provide explicit instruction for supporting recognition of common morphemes and using their meanings to support decoding and encoding. For example, in unit 6, lesson 83, the educator says, “The suffix -er can mean a lot of things! It can mean more when comparing two things. It can also mean a person or thing that does something,” and models how to add -er to the word fast to spell faster. The educator explains, “By adding the suffix -er, we made a word that compares two things.” The educator marks up words with the -er suffix to help students read words such as baker and drops the e at the end of bake to spell baker. The educator gives students time to practice spelling words such as freezer and louder and demonstrates how to check each word for accuracy.
The materials do not include educator guidance to provide explicit instruction for using common morphemes’ meanings to support reading comprehension. The program provides a weekly decodable book to introduce phonics and morphology skills but does not offer educator guidance on how to use this resource to support reading comprehension. For example, decodable book 17 Extend and Contract aligns with unit 6, lesson 83 and includes words containing the suffix -er (player, stronger), but the materials do not guide educators to use the meaning of these words and their suffix to support comprehension of the text.
Evaluation for 5.E.4c
Of the 120 phonics lessons, 18 focus on morphology. In these lessons, students encode words containing the morpheme and discuss their meanings. Later, they read words with the focus morpheme in isolation, then in decodable sentences, and finally in a short fluency paragraph. For example, in unit 6, lesson 83, students learn the morpheme -er. They encode words such as baker, kinder, and leader. Then they read farmer, player, and brighter before reading sentences and a fluency passage with multiple words containing the morpheme -er. Through these activities, students build their understanding of the morpheme.
There are 30 decodable readers for grade 2, which means there is one dedicated decodable reader per week. Each week, students practice the four phonics skills they learned by reading the assigned decodable reader. Students also practice decoding and encoding words with the focus morphemes during weekly and unit checkpoints. The program administers these checkpoints every fifth lesson to review material from the unit. The material offers opportunities to reinforce grade-level morphological skills through cumulative review in the phonics lessons. Most lessons provide review words that students encode and decode. Although not every word contains a morpheme, students frequently reinforce their understanding of previously learned morphemes, especially in lesson 10. Students also decode words with previously learned morphemes in decodable, connected text.
Evaluation for 5.E.4d
In unit 6, lesson 87, students practice reading and spelling words in isolation, such as hottest and bravest. In lesson 87, students read words in isolation, such as longest, and in sentences, such as “The smallest rabbit is the smoothest.” Students also read the decodable passage “The Safest Choice” chorally, with a partner, and independently. In lesson 87, students write in response to the previously read text “The Germ Stoppers Club.”
The materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to decode words with morphemes in isolation and in decodable texts that build on previous instruction. In each phonics lesson, the educator displays words in isolation that contain examples of the target morphology skill, and students identify the affix and then decode by proving and marking the base word. In unit 6, lesson 83, for example, the educator introduces the suffix -er and guides students as they decode the word faster, first presenting the base word and then adding the suffix. In the fluency lesson, the educator displays a set of words in isolation for students to read (farmer, player, brighter). The “Differentiation” tab provides resources such as decodable cards, word cards, and roll-and-read games for every morphology skill, giving students more practice decoding words in isolation. Decodable books that align with each week of instruction and contain words from the targeted weekly phonics and morphology skills allow students to practice decoding words within decodable texts. The “Differentiation” tab also contains sentence-level practice with fluency pyramids and decodable sentences for each phonics and morphology skill.
Evaluation for 5.F.1a
The materials provide educator guidance to support students in determining the meaning of unfamiliar words using context and within texts. Lessons focus on unfamiliar words and context clues and include explicit educator scripts that model how to use surrounding words to determine meaning. For example, in unit 6, lesson 81, the educator says, “When we come to a word we don’t know, we don’t have to stop reading. We can be word detectives! We look at the other words around the tricky word. Those other words give us clues about what the tricky word means.” The lesson includes additional examples with unfamiliar words and guides the educator to continue modeling. Students then apply the strategy independently before discussing their thinking. Throughout the materials, educators use scripts, modeled examples, and student practice opportunities that support using context within the text to determine word meanings. The materials provide guidance on the purpose of print resources, but not the use of print resources and neither the purpose nor the use of digital resources.
In every comprehension lesson, there is a portion set aside for reviewing important vocabulary in the book students are about to read. In lesson 47, the educator teaches new words such as scurry, sincere, and prowl. When teaching scurry, the educator shows a picture, demonstrates an action (running fingers quickly across the other hand), gives a definition, and uses the word in a sentence that provides context during the I Do part of the lesson. Then students repeat the word and its meaning back to the educator. Students receive two sentences using the word scurry and decide whether the educator used it correctly or incorrectly. Lastly, they turn and talk to a partner using the word in context.
Evaluation for 5.F.1b
The materials include educator guidance that supports print resources such as dictionaries and glossaries. For example, in unit 9, lesson 123, the educator says, “When we need to find a word, we use ABC order. We look at the first letter of the word and find that section. Let’s practice!” Then the educator explains to the class how to find an unfamiliar word by identifying its initial letter and locating the corresponding entry in a glossary or dictionary. The educator says, “That’s right! If I wanted to find ‘structures’ in a glossary or dictionary, I would turn to the S section,” and “If we look up ‘structures’ in a glossary, we would find out it means things that are built, like buildings or bridges.” Students then determine that the word massive is found in the m section. Only the word glossary is projected on the board, and it is unclear whether students are using a print book or a digital book.
The materials do not provide explicit educator guidance on the purpose of print resources such as picture dictionaries, primary dictionaries, or glossaries, nor do they provide explicit instruction on the purpose of digital resources such as digital picture dictionaries, digital glossaries, eBooks, or online dictionaries. Although students use a glossary within a lesson, the materials do not explicitly teach why different reference resources are used or how students should independently select and use print and digital reference tools to determine word meanings or pronunciations. Digital vocabulary cards function as educator-directed instructional supports rather than student reference tools, and the “Program Architecture Overview” focuses on fluency and vocabulary routines rather than explicit instruction in the purpose and use of print and digital reference resources.
Evaluation for 5.F.1c
The materials introduce dictionaries and glossaries as print resources. However, they do not include activities or tasks that require students to use print or digital resources to determine word meanings or pronunciations. In unit 9, lesson 123, the educator says, “Today we’re learning how to use a glossary or dictionary to find out what words mean. A glossary is a list of important words and their meanings at the back of a book. A dictionary is a bigger book that has thousands of words and their meanings. Both are organized in ABC order!” In this lesson, students respond to several prompts when the educator asks, “What letter does it start with?” Students also turn and talk with a partner about the definition of quarry. The educator displays words such as tomb and concrete and asks the class which section they would look in to find that word. Students respond with the beginning letter of each word. Finally, students turn and talk to fill in the answer to the prompt “I use a glossary or dictionary when __________,” and the materials suggest the response “I need to find out what a word means.”
The educator is responsible for teaching meaning, pronunciation, and syllabication. The students participate in these lessons, but there are no other resources or activities they can use within the materials, and they are not directed to look outside of them. The materials include discussions of word meanings, pronunciation, and syllabication but provide no hands-on activities or tasks for students to actively engage with print and digital resources. The student is dependent on the educator for all instruction in new vocabulary. In lesson 78, students are given the background knowledge on what eyeglasses are and how they work. Students are then taught vocabulary words such as spectacles, lens, and convex. They learn the pronunciation and meaning of these words from the educator. Those meanings are reinforced in the comprehension text they read, but students do not interact with these words again.
Evaluation for 5.G.1a
Every lesson includes a fluency section in which students practice word-level, sentence-level, and passage-level fluency. The lessons provide educator modeling for each section and opportunities for feedback. Fluency lessons occur four out of five days each week. Every fluency lesson includes educator modeling of sentences and a short paragraph. The educator models reading, discusses an aspect of fluency, and models reading a longer paragraph using the previously discussed fluency technique. Then students practice partner reading before reading independently. The materials include suggestions for educator feedback that support the development of fluent reading skills. During partner reading in unit 1, lesson 6, students discuss whether their reading was rushed, too slow, or appropriately paced before rereading to improve fluency. Educators are directed to monitor student reading, provide support as needed, and prompt students to reread words and sentences when errors occur
Fluency lessons begin with reading words in isolation that match the phonics skills taught. Sentence-level reading comes next, then the educator introduces the fluency focus and demonstrates the focus during the I Do portion. In unit 1, lesson 6, the fluency task is semantic monitoring: Did the students understand what they read? The educator reads a sentence that uses either short-vowel or high-frequency words such as from. While decodable, these sentences can be difficult to read fluently, as they contain words students would not normally use. The educator reads the sentence and addresses the uncommon words to check that students understood what they just read. The educator then displays a new sentence for students to read with them during the We Do portion. Finally, the educator introduces the passage, which students read four times—educator read (modeling fluency task), choral read, partner read, and independent read. This lesson format, which is the same for all fluency lessons, involves a great deal of modeling and practice of fluent reading.
Evaluation for 5.G.1b
The differentiation resources offer word lists, roll-and-read activities, sentence lists, and pyramid sentences for students who are developing or progressing in their proficiency. These resources organize words by phonics patterns so the educator can choose lists that students can decode based on the proficiency they have shown. The fluency pyramids present students with a word and add a single word at a time, encouraging word-by-word reading rather than fluent phrases.
For example, in unit 6, lesson 76, the fluency lesson begins with a list of six words for students to chorally read as a whole group (bloom, root, scoop, eyes, coy, joint). The word list includes a review of words with previously taught phonics patterns and words with the current target phonics pattern. After reading the word list, students chorally read one decodable sentence. After the direct instruction to teach the fluency skill of connecting phrases smoothly, the educator presents a decodable connected fluency passage (“A Day at the Zoo”). Students read this passage four times: educator model, choral read, partner read, and independent read.
Evaluation for 5.G.1c
The phonics and fluency lessons are whole-group lessons four out of five days each week. Students read words in isolation, in connected text, and in a decodable paragraph as a whole class. Throughout the lesson, students also work with a partner. For example, students reread the fluency paragraph with a partner before reading it independently. In unit 3, lesson 33, students read words with ue and ui, such as fruit, clue, juice, and true, and sentences that include the target phonics skills as a whole class. The educator models reading sentences with various punctuation marks, and students then practice reading sentences with a partner and independently. Later in the lesson, the educator reads a decodable fluency paragraph, followed by the whole class, then a partner, and then independently.
Students work in small groups to practice their word-reading fluency with decodable readers. This time gives students additional practice with the focus phonics skills learned throughout the week and provides opportunities for cumulative review. Students work with the educator and a small group to receive more focused instruction. The materials offer Decodable Reader routines to guide the educator in facilitating the small-group lesson. Depending on the readers, the educator may have students choral read the text, read it to each other, or read it individually. After reading, the educator has the small group discuss and review the text.
Evaluation for 5.G.1d
The materials include various texts in the phonics lessons that focus on accuracy. Every fluency lesson provides a list of words in isolation that feature the focus phonics skill and a connected text with the focus phonics skill. Students read the text accurately. The fluency lesson also presents a short mini-lesson on some aspect of fluency and prosody. The scope and sequence highlights examples such as punctuation, natural breaks, short-breath pauses, and self-monitoring. After the mini-lesson, the materials provide a fluency paragraph for students to practice the new technique. For example, in unit 3, lesson 33, the focus phonics skills are taught as the educator models sentences with other punctuation marks, then students practice reading sentences with a partner and independently. Later in the lesson, the educator, the whole class, a partner, and then individual students read a decodable fluency paragraph.
The materials include various texts to build accuracy, fluency, prosody, and comprehension. There are 30 decodable readers throughout the year, each with a “Think About the Story” section of questions at the end. For example, the educator might select decodable book 18 A Messy Sneeze to read with a small group, following the Decodable Reader Progressing routine. Students read the book with a partner to identify the target sound–spelling pattern, thereby improving decoding accuracy. Then, after repeated readings, including partner and independent reading, the students discuss questions such as “What are germs?”, “How does your body try to keep germs out?”, and “ What does your body do when germs get inside it?”
Evaluation for 5.H.1a
The materials include a “Teacher Guidance for Cursive Instruction” document with “How to Teach it”, “Instructional Routine,” and “Beyond the Writing Page” sections. The guidance provides cursive lessons that begin with single letters, move to words, and progress to sentences. The materials state, “Once letter formation is secure, move cursive into authentic writing tasks,” and suggest classroom applications of cursive writing, such as having students write journal responses, class notes, and spelling words in cursive.
The “Teacher Guidance for Cursive Instruction” document helps educators meet grade-level standards by providing students with opportunities to accurately form all cursive letters and to use appropriate strokes when connecting letters. The materials also guide educators to integrate handwriting instruction into classroom learning to reinforce handwriting practice. The materials state, “Once letter formation is secure, move cursive into authentic writing tasks.” The materials also suggest classroom applications of cursive writing, such as having students write journal responses and spell words in cursive.
Evaluation for 5.H.1b
In the cursive resources on the developing readers “Differentiation” tab, educator guidance is included under the “Beyond the Handwriting Page” heading. The materials recommend that once letter formation is secure, the educator should move cursive into authentic writing tasks. Examples include copying short passages in cursive, writing journal responses or summaries in cursive, taking brief class notes in cursive (recommended only for grade 3 and above), writing spelling words, and practicing the full alphabet daily as a warm-up. These recommendations are included in this document rather than found in daily lessons.
The materials include a writing lesson three times a week. In unit 1, lesson 10, for example, the educator gives students the following writing prompt: “Imagine you are on a construction crew. What project are you on? What do you want to teach your readers about your crew?”
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 include systematic instructional guidance for developing oral language and oracy through recurring instructional routines. Oral language activities are embedded throughout comprehension, writing, grammar, and vocabulary instruction, providing repeated opportunities for students to engage in collaborative conversations using newly learned concepts. Throughout the lessons, students regularly participate in turn-and-talk routines in which educators model discussion expectations, provide sentence stems, and prompt students to listen and respond to partners. For example, in unit 2, lesson 17, students prepare to write a postcard by sharing a place they have visited, describing their first impressions and answering a partner’s question using educator-provided sentence starters such as “The first thing I noticed was ___.” These recurring instructional routines provide systematic opportunities for modeling, guided practice, collaborative discussion, and independent oral language application throughout the curriculum.
The materials include additional instructional guidance that develops oral language and oracy through coaching, feedback, and differentiated practice. Educators consistently scaffold student discussions through sentence stems, partner conversations, and educator feedback that supports students in expressing complete ideas. Across lessons, educators circulate during partner discussions to coach students, reinforce appropriate language use, and provide feedback before students independently apply oral language skills during writing and comprehension activities. Together, these instructional routines provide explicit and systematic guidance through modeling, guided practice, coaching, feedback, and independent oral language practice.
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)
3 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)
3 out of 4 points
The materials include opportunities for students to engage in academic communication for different purposes and audiences. In the Decodable Reader Progressing routines, students predict events before reading, share questions with a partner, locate words that contain targeted phonics patterns after reading, and participate in educator-led whole-class discussions about text meaning and text features. Throughout comprehension instruction, educators frequently ask students to explain their thinking and justify responses. For example, in lesson 46, students identify a character’s traits and behaviors before providing textual evidence to support their claims. While students regularly explain their thinking during academic discussions, the materials do not consistently teach students to respond directly to peers by building on or respectfully challenging classmates’ ideas, and opportunities for academic communication beyond partner discussions remain limited.
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 provide authentic opportunities for students to engage in discussion to deepen their understanding of the information. Throughout the curriculum, students participate in recurring turn-and-talk routines that encourage collaborative thinking before reading, writing, and responding to comprehension questions. In lesson 114, students explain one step of the water cycle to a partner using formal language before writing, reinforcing content understanding through oral discussion and active listening.
The materials provide authentic opportunities for students to share information and ideas across recurring oral language routines. Students regularly communicate their thinking during partner discussions, collaborative conversations, and whole-class discussions connected to each unit’s Essential Question. For example, at the end of unit 4, students discuss moral lessons across texts, explain how different cultures tell stories, and support their responses with text evidence. These recurring opportunities support students in listening, questioning, discussing, and sharing information across authentic literacy experiences.
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
Daily phonics lessons explicitly and systematically introduce letter–sound relationships in a logical order that supports encoding and decoding. In unit 2, lesson 16, educators begin by reviewing the /k/ sound at the start of words (car, kite, kitchen) and remind students that c and k can spell /k/. Educators then teach that -ck also spells /k/ in one-syllable words after a short vowel, using sick as an example. Educators show students how to mark the vowel and explain that two consonants spelling one sound act as a “guardian consonant,” making the vowel short. Educators guide students to encode words that follow this pattern (pack, deck, quack) and check their decoding by marking vowels and identifying guardian consonants. All phonics lessons use this explicit, systematic routine for new letter–sound relationships.
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)
0 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)
0 out of 2 points
“Common Misconceptions” notes are included in some lesson sidebars, but these notes guide educators in preventing misconceptions rather than providing feedback to students. For example, in unit 2, lesson 29, educators explicitly teach Phonetic Skill 5 (ai and ay), and a sidebar note explains how to clarify the role of consonants after adjacent vowels. The note instructs educators to explain that a guardian consonant follows only one vowel, not two. While this information helps educators avoid misconceptions during instruction, it does not recommend providing explanatory feedback to students based on their errors or misconceptions when learning to connect phonemes and letters.
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 provide a variety of activities and resources for students to practice applying letter–sound correspondence to decode one-syllable and multisyllable words in isolation and in decodable connected text. Students practice decoding through word reading, spelling, dictation, fluency activities, and repeated oral reading. The fluency lessons provide opportunities for choral, partner, and independent reading of decodable passages that incorporate targeted phonics patterns. In addition, the “Differentiation” tab provides word-level lists, sentence-level activities, fluency passages, and decodable readers that allow students to practice newly taught and previously learned letter–sound correspondences in isolated words and connected text.
The materials include a cumulative review that reinforces students’ understanding of applying letter–sound correspondence to decode one-syllable and multisyllable words in isolation and in decodable connected text. Each lesson revisits previously taught phonics skills through the Dictation Bank, review word lists, and connected reading activities. Students repeatedly decode previously taught phonics patterns while reading sentences, fluency passages, and decodable readers selected through the differentiation routines. These cumulative review opportunities strengthen students’ automatic application of letter–sound correspondence across both isolated words and authentic connected text.
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)
0 out of 2 points
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)
0 out of 2 points
However, the systematic sequence is not reflected in the daily instructional program or aligned to the grade-level TEKS. Daily whole-group lessons do not teach or practice producing rhyming words or distinguishing between long and short vowel sounds in one-syllable and multisyllabic words, and the materials provide no guidance for when or how educators should use the supplementary lessons. In addition, several phoneme substitution lessons contain errors. For example, lesson 149 directs students to say “stop” and then “glow” without identifying the sound change, and similar errors appear throughout the materials, interrupting the progression from simpler to more complex skills.
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)
0 out of 2 points
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)
0 out of 2 points
However, the materials do not include recommended explanatory feedback based on common errors or misconceptions. For example, in unit 1, lesson 1, educators model blending sounds to form the word sun and guide students in blending the word rain, but the only feedback provided is general praise, such as “Great job blending sounds!” The educator resource also lacks guidance for addressing likely student errors or misconceptions, offering no corrective prompts or instructional suggestions to support students who misunderstand the phonological awareness tasks.
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)
0 out of 4 points
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)
0 out of 4 points
However, the materials do not include a variety of activities or memory-building strategies to develop, practice, and reinforce the grade 2 phonological awareness TEKS through cumulative review. Daily instruction focuses on phonemic awareness rather than the required phonological awareness skills, omitting activities for distinguishing long and short vowel sounds in one-syllable and multisyllabic words. For example, in unit 3, lesson 32, students identify the initial long /o/ sound in words such as oat, oval, and oboe, but they are not asked to distinguish between long and short vowel sounds. As a result, the required grade-level phonological awareness standard is not systematically developed, practiced, or reinforced.
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)
3 out of 3 points
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)
3 out of 3 points
The materials further include a systematic sequence that begins with blending and segmenting phonemes and advances to adding, deleting, and substituting sounds. For example, in lesson 2, students blend three sounds to form words such as nose. In lesson 14, students segment words such as pen. In lesson 101, students delete the ending sound in lamp to form lamb. Lesson 111 asks students to delete the beginning sound in broom to make room. In Lesson 116, students add a sound to far to make farm. Lesson 136 has students substitute one phoneme in rug to form run. The scope and sequence provides a systematic progression from identifying, blending, and segmenting phonemes to advanced phoneme manipulation skills.
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)
0 out of 2 points
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)
0 out of 2 points
However, the materials do not include recommended explanatory feedback based on common errors or misconceptions. Feedback is limited to general praise, such as “Great job blending sounds!” and does not guide educators in addressing student misunderstandings. Although EB student supports encourage clear modeling, they do not identify likely errors or provide corrective feedback for common misconceptions.
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)
2 out of 2 points
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)
2 out of 2 points
The materials also include explicit guidance for connecting phonemic awareness skills to the alphabetic principle to support students’ transition from oral language activities to basic encoding. For example, in unit 3, phonics lesson 31, the educator begins with a quick phonemic awareness exercise in which students are asked to identify the initial phoneme in a list of words (eat, even, eagle). After students identify the initial sound as the long /e/ sound, the educator connects it to previously learned sound–letter patterns (e and e with silent e) before introducing two new ways to spell the long /e/ sound: ea and ee. After explicitly teaching these new spelling patterns for long e, the educator shows a sample word for each pattern (team and bee) and leads students through making the vowel sounds in the word to decode it. Finally, after connecting the patterns to basic decoding, the educator then dictates three words containing these patterns for students to encode (sleep, read, see).
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)
2 out of 3 points
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)
2 out of 3 points
The materials also provide a variety of activities and resources for students to practice phonemic awareness skills. Students participate in daily educator-led routines that include blending, segmenting, deleting, adding, and substituting phonemes using repeated oral rehearsal and multisensory supports. Throughout the lessons, educators model each skill before guiding students through oral practice using gestures, arm motions, and Elkonin boxes to reinforce phoneme manipulation. These instructional routines provide multiple opportunities for students to strengthen their phonemic awareness as they work with increasingly complex spoken words.
The materials do not include a cumulative review that reinforces phonemic awareness skills throughout the program. Although students engage in daily phonemic awareness warm-ups, each lesson focuses on a single phonemic awareness skill rather than revisiting previously taught skills. For example, in unit 10, lesson 137, students practice final-phoneme substitution without reviewing previously taught skills such as blending, segmenting, deleting, adding, or initial-phoneme substitution. As a result, the materials provide development and practice of phonemic awareness skills but do not consistently reinforce those skills through cumulative review across the curriculum.
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
The materials systematically review previously taught sound–spelling patterns before introducing more complex sound spelling patterns. For example, in unit 2, lesson 16, the educator begins by reviewing previously learned sound–spelling patterns that use c or k to spell the /k/ sound. The educator asks, “What sound do you hear at the beginning of these words: car, kite, kitchen? Yes. They all start with /k/. We’ve learned to spell the sound /k/ with the letters c and k.” Next, the educator introduces a new sound–spelling pattern and explains, “Another way to spell /k/ is with the letters -ck. In a one-syllable word, when the /k/ sound comes after a short vowel, we use the letters -ck to spell /k/, like in sick.”
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
The materials provide explicit instructions for educators on how to teach sound–spelling patterns and use a gradual-release model to ensure students understand the new spelling pattern and apply it repeatedly to read and write words. For example, in unit 5, lesson 63, students learn about long vowel combinations such as -old, -ost, and -olt. The lesson follows the predictable routine of all phonics lessons. The script states that “When certain letters follow the vowel o, the o goes from spelling its short sound to its long sound.” Educators provide words that fit this rule and discuss them before guiding students through practice spelling the new phonics skill. Students then independently practice encoding new words. Later in the lesson, the educator script prompts students to read isolated words, words in a sentence, and a short fluency paragraph containing multiple words that follow the new sound–spelling pattern. The structure of the lesson, the educator-provided script, and the activities ensure explicit instruction in sound–spelling patterns.
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 include educator guidance to provide explicit instruction for grade-level sound–spelling patterns. Partially scripted lessons throughout the daily lessons provide clear guidance for educators to model and explain grade-level sound–spelling patterns. For example, in lesson 9, the educator says, “When a double ‘l’ comes after the vowels ‘e’ and ‘i’ the vowels keep their sounds: short /e/ and short /i/” and then displays the words smell and will. Next, the educator explains and demonstrates how double-l changes the sound of the vowel when it follows u, a, and o, as in pull, all, and roll. Then, students practice spelling and reading words with the new sound–spelling pattern, such as call, full, troll, and smell.
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
Weekly homework packets feature decodable passages that students are instructed to read and respond to in writing. To write a response, students must use the sound–spelling patterns in the passage. In week 2, students read a passage with words ending in double-l and then respond to the story by changing the ending, keeping the characters and plot points that align with the phonics pattern.
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)
0 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)
0 out of 2 points
In the Supplementary Teacher Reference Materials, the “My Journey” educator resource contains the “High-Frequency Word Instruction” document. The document lists words from the educator software “Instruction” tab in the order educators introduce them. Beginning with the word want, the sequence introduces words without consistently progressing from less complex to more complex phonics features. The list distributes words with contractions, irregular spellings, and complex sound–spelling patterns throughout but does not introduce them according to decoding complexity. For example, want is followed by that’s, and through precedes friend and never. The list also intersperses contractions such as didn’t, you’re, let’s, and I’ll with less complex words that are not contractions. The materials do not provide a systematic sequence for introducing regular and irregular high-frequency words.
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
For each daily high-frequency word lesson, educators use a Tap It, Map It, Examine It, Read It, Write It routine. This routine helps students identify the sounds in the word, map the sounds, examine the spelling patterns or new spellings, read the word in sentences, and write the word three times. For example, in unit 1, lesson 6, educators teach the regular high-frequency word around. Educators ask, “Tell me the sounds in the word around. How many sounds are there?” Students draw lines for each sound on whiteboards or paper while educators guide them through mapping the sounds and explaining sound–spelling patterns that haven’t been taught yet. For the word around, educators say, “What’s the first sound in the word around? Here is a new spelling we have not learned yet. Write the letter a on the first line.” After mapping all sounds to spell the word, educators draw students’ attention to new parts. Educators say, “When we hear the sound /ŭ/, it can be spelled with the letter a. We have not learned this spelling yet.” Educators also say, “When we hear the sound /ou/, it can be spelled with the letters ou. We have not learned this spelling yet. Circle the letters ou to show this is a new spelling.” The class reads two sentences that contain the word around together. Finally, using whiteboards or paper, educators direct students to write the word around three times, saying the word and each letter as they spell it.
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)
6 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)
6 out of 12 points
However, lessons do not implement this guidance. The “High-Frequency Word” document targets only developing readers because it is located in the “Differentiation” tab. The program does not teach high-frequency words to students at the “progressing” or “proficient” levels. The document provides explicit guidance for teaching decoding and encoding regular high-frequency words. However, it does not offer a variety of activities for developing, practicing, or reinforcing encoding high-frequency words. At the end of every fifth word lesson, students briefly review the last five words taught, but the program does not revisit those five words thereafter.
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
In unit 2, lessons 21–24, students learn and review the high-frequency word through the Tap It, Map It, Examine It, Read It, Write It, Review It, and Extend It routine found in each lesson. Students segment the sounds, map phonemes to graphemes, analyze the spelling pattern, read the word in isolation, and then read connected sentences such as “The car drove through the tunnel and Min ran through the mud and did not stop.” Students also spell the word while writing it three times and then discuss the word that was practiced with a partner. These routines provide multiple opportunities to read and write the high-frequency word in isolation and in connected text while reinforcing orthographic mapping and sound–spelling relationships.
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 scope and sequence shows that unit 6, lesson 81 introduces how to decode multisyllabic words containing the first five syllable types (Phonetic Skills 1–5 and vowel-r syllables). This lesson teaches one way to divide syllables using Decoding Skill 1: “Decoding Skill 1 tells us that when there is one consonant between two vowels, the consonant moves, or runs, with the next syllable.” This is the VCV syllable-division pattern. Unit 6, lesson 84 introduces Decoding Skill 2 as a second way to divide syllables: “Decoding Skill 2 tells us that when there are two consonants between two vowels, the consonants split.” This is the VCCV syllable-division pattern. Unit 6, lesson 86 teaches Decoding Skill 2 with double consonants. The materials present a clear, systematic sequence for introducing grade-level syllable-division principles as outlined in the TEKS.
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 grade 2 materials include educator guidance to provide explicit instruction for applying knowledge of syllable types to decode and encode one-syllable words. In lesson 22, the educator guides students to identify and mark the vowels in the word time while explaining, “This is Phonetic Skill 4, which tells us that the first vowel sound will be long when a vowel is followed by a consonant and silent e.” The educator and students work together to decode the words tap and tape and encode one-syllable words such as shape and those. Finally, students apply the phonetic skills while spelling words containing examples of the different syllable types, such as five and shade, before they watch the educator explain how the syllable type helps them check their work.
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
The lessons use the same structure for multisyllabic words. The educator models a new phonetic or decoding skill, and students participate in guided practice on spelling and proving words based on syllable types and division principles. Students read words in isolation, sentences, and short paragraphs with the class or a partner. Later, they independently encode multisyllabic words and read fluency paragraphs containing multisyllabic words. Each phonics lesson includes a cumulative review of previous skills. In lesson 13, students review glued sounds from a previous lesson by encoding link, king, and bunk and review decoding words such as long and drift in a fluency passage. These activities give students repeated opportunities to develop encoding and decoding skills for both one-syllable and multisyllabic 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
The weekly and unit checkpoints provide another opportunity for students to encode one-syllable and multisyllabic words using the phonics skills they have learned. In unit 6, week 2, the weekly checkpoint prompts students to encode the words sunset, educator, robot, corner, and napkin. Students use syllable types and syllable-division principles to spell words correctly. Students also encode both one-syllable and multisyllabic words when they participate in writing lessons from the material. In unit 7, lesson 82, for instance, the educator asks students to write their opinion about whether Mango (a character from a text they read) made the right choice to continue trying. Students share their opinions and supporting details, which requires them to encode both one-syllable and multisyllabic words. These writing tasks occur three times a week, so students have many opportunities to practice encoding words.
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)
0 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)
0 out of 1 points
The materials teach suffixes interwoven with phoneme lessons but do not group these lessons together into meaningful chunks within a unit. For example, lesson 8 teaches the suffix -es in the first unit. Students learn to apply -es to nouns and verbs, but the program does not use the word plural when referring to nouns with -es added. The lessons explain that adding -es creates an additional syllable, but the curriculum delays the study of syllable types for many units and continues to focus on one-syllable words in phonics for an extended period.
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)
3 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)
3 out of 4 points
The materials do not include educator guidance to provide explicit instruction for using common morphemes’ meanings to support reading comprehension. The program provides a weekly decodable book to introduce phonics and morphology skills but does not offer educator guidance on how to use this resource to support reading comprehension. For example, decodable book 17 Extend and Contract aligns with unit 6, lesson 83 and includes words containing the suffix -er (player, stronger), but the materials do not guide educators to use the meaning of these words and their suffix to support comprehension of the text.
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
There are 30 decodable readers for grade 2, which means there is one dedicated decodable reader per week. Each week, students practice the four phonics skills they learned by reading the assigned decodable reader. Students also practice decoding and encoding words with the focus morphemes during weekly and unit checkpoints. The program administers these checkpoints every fifth lesson to review material from the unit. The material offers opportunities to reinforce grade-level morphological skills through cumulative review in the phonics lessons. Most lessons provide review words that students encode and decode. Although not every word contains a morpheme, students frequently reinforce their understanding of previously learned morphemes, especially in lesson 10. Students also decode words with previously learned morphemes in decodable, connected text.
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
The materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to decode words with morphemes in isolation and in decodable texts that build on previous instruction. In each phonics lesson, the educator displays words in isolation that contain examples of the target morphology skill, and students identify the affix and then decode by proving and marking the base word. In unit 6, lesson 83, for example, the educator introduces the suffix -er and guides students as they decode the word faster, first presenting the base word and then adding the suffix. In the fluency lesson, the educator displays a set of words in isolation for students to read (farmer, player, brighter). The “Differentiation” tab provides resources such as decodable cards, word cards, and roll-and-read games for every morphology skill, giving students more practice decoding words in isolation. Decodable books that align with each week of instruction and contain words from the targeted weekly phonics and morphology skills allow students to practice decoding words within decodable texts. The “Differentiation” tab also contains sentence-level practice with fluency pyramids and decodable sentences for each phonics and morphology skill.
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
In every comprehension lesson, there is a portion set aside for reviewing important vocabulary in the book students are about to read. In lesson 47, the educator teaches new words such as scurry, sincere, and prowl. When teaching scurry, the educator shows a picture, demonstrates an action (running fingers quickly across the other hand), gives a definition, and uses the word in a sentence that provides context during the I Do part of the lesson. Then students repeat the word and its meaning back to the educator. Students receive two sentences using the word scurry and decide whether the educator used it correctly or incorrectly. Lastly, they turn and talk to a partner using the word in context.
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)
0 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)
0 out of 4 points
The materials do not provide explicit educator guidance on the purpose of print resources such as picture dictionaries, primary dictionaries, or glossaries, nor do they provide explicit instruction on the purpose of digital resources such as digital picture dictionaries, digital glossaries, eBooks, or online dictionaries. Although students use a glossary within a lesson, the materials do not explicitly teach why different reference resources are used or how students should independently select and use print and digital reference tools to determine word meanings or pronunciations. Digital vocabulary cards function as educator-directed instructional supports rather than student reference tools, and the “Program Architecture Overview” focuses on fluency and vocabulary routines rather than explicit instruction in the purpose and use of print and digital reference resources.
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)
0 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)
0 out of 4 points
The educator is responsible for teaching meaning, pronunciation, and syllabication. The students participate in these lessons, but there are no other resources or activities they can use within the materials, and they are not directed to look outside of them. The materials include discussions of word meanings, pronunciation, and syllabication but provide no hands-on activities or tasks for students to actively engage with print and digital resources. The student is dependent on the educator for all instruction in new vocabulary. In lesson 78, students are given the background knowledge on what eyeglasses are and how they work. Students are then taught vocabulary words such as spectacles, lens, and convex. They learn the pronunciation and meaning of these words from the educator. Those meanings are reinforced in the comprehension text they read, but students do not interact with these words again.
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
Fluency lessons begin with reading words in isolation that match the phonics skills taught. Sentence-level reading comes next, then the educator introduces the fluency focus and demonstrates the focus during the I Do portion. In unit 1, lesson 6, the fluency task is semantic monitoring: Did the students understand what they read? The educator reads a sentence that uses either short-vowel or high-frequency words such as from. While decodable, these sentences can be difficult to read fluently, as they contain words students would not normally use. The educator reads the sentence and addresses the uncommon words to check that students understood what they just read. The educator then displays a new sentence for students to read with them during the We Do portion. Finally, the educator introduces the passage, which students read four times—educator read (modeling fluency task), choral read, partner read, and independent read. This lesson format, which is the same for all fluency lessons, involves a great deal of modeling and practice of fluent reading.
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
For example, in unit 6, lesson 76, the fluency lesson begins with a list of six words for students to chorally read as a whole group (bloom, root, scoop, eyes, coy, joint). The word list includes a review of words with previously taught phonics patterns and words with the current target phonics pattern. After reading the word list, students chorally read one decodable sentence. After the direct instruction to teach the fluency skill of connecting phrases smoothly, the educator presents a decodable connected fluency passage (“A Day at the Zoo”). Students read this passage four times: educator model, choral read, partner read, and independent read.
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
Students work in small groups to practice their word-reading fluency with decodable readers. This time gives students additional practice with the focus phonics skills learned throughout the week and provides opportunities for cumulative review. Students work with the educator and a small group to receive more focused instruction. The materials offer Decodable Reader routines to guide the educator in facilitating the small-group lesson. Depending on the readers, the educator may have students choral read the text, read it to each other, or read it individually. After reading, the educator has the small group discuss and review the text.
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 include various texts to build accuracy, fluency, prosody, and comprehension. There are 30 decodable readers throughout the year, each with a “Think About the Story” section of questions at the end. For example, the educator might select decodable book 18 A Messy Sneeze to read with a small group, following the Decodable Reader Progressing routine. Students read the book with a partner to identify the target sound–spelling pattern, thereby improving decoding accuracy. Then, after repeated readings, including partner and independent reading, the students discuss questions such as “What are germs?”, “How does your body try to keep germs out?”, and “ What does your body do when germs get inside it?”
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
The “Teacher Guidance for Cursive Instruction” document helps educators meet grade-level standards by providing students with opportunities to accurately form all cursive letters and to use appropriate strokes when connecting letters. The materials also guide educators to integrate handwriting instruction into classroom learning to reinforce handwriting practice. The materials state, “Once letter formation is secure, move cursive into authentic writing tasks.” The materials also suggest classroom applications of cursive writing, such as having students write journal responses and spell words in cursive.
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
The materials include a writing lesson three times a week. In unit 1, lesson 10, for example, the educator gives students the following writing prompt: “Imagine you are on a construction crew. What project are you on? What do you want to teach your readers about your crew?”
Rubric Section 6
Knowledge Coherence
Materials support the development of connected background knowledge and key academic vocabulary within and across grade levels.
Total
91% (29 out of 32 points)
Evaluation for 6.A.1a
The “Program Architecture” organizes instruction around 10 knowledge-building strands, including “Amazing Animals,” “Earth and Life,” “The Human Machine,” “Sky and Space,” “Traveling Through Time,” “Once Upon a Story,” “Inventors and Innovations,” “A World of Wonder,” “Our Place in the World,” and “Mysteries and Detectives.” These thematic units give students opportunities to build knowledge in science, history, and literature. Topics such as animals, earth, and the human body address the science indicator. Historical change, people, and communities through the centuries meet the criteria for history. Traditional literature, such as The Lion and the Mouse, meets the indicator for literature.
The instructional units are concentrated in the areas of history, science, and literature. The scope and sequence identifies units 1, 7, and 9 as history-based units; units 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8 as science-based units; and units 4 and 10 as literature-based units. In unit 7, week 3, the topic is “Stories in Stone.” Students learn about architectural features that add decorative elements, such as gargoyles and mosaics.
Evaluation for 6.A.1b
The materials include a connected scope and sequence across grade levels. Every grade level has 10 units that increase in depth as grade levels progress. For instance, unit 1 is “Our Place in the World.” In pre-K, students focus on the theme “All About Me,” while in grades K and 1, the theme shifts to “My World.” In grades 2 and 3, the theme broadens further under the title “Our Communities.” By grades 4 and 5, students continue to explore “Our Place in the World” but shift to building communities. Students expand their knowledge base from all about themselves to building communities, with this specific unit recurring throughout the material from pre-K–grade 5. All the other units follow this pattern, so students build on their prior knowledge and schema as they grow as readers and learners.
The materials are designed for pre-K–grade 5 students to move through similarly connected units. For example, unit 3 in every grade focuses on animal habitats, lifecycles, and characteristics. In grade 2, students learn about animal adaptations and survival, while in grade 3, they study global biodiversity.
Evaluation for 6.A.1c
The units are designed for students to spend extended time on connected knowledge-building topics and texts. The scope and sequence provides an overview with examples of how instruction progresses over time. The overview uses images and text to explain the structure of a typical instructional week, and each unit includes three weeks of instruction focused on a connected knowledge-building topic.
The units are designed for students to spend extended time on connected knowledge-building topics and texts. Unit 9 “Traveling Through Time: How Humans Built Civilizations” gives students three weeks to explore how the actions and achievements of people long ago continue to shape the world today. Lesson 121 introduces The Cool Floor, which lets students glimpse an ancient family’s life and home before the development of electrification. Throughout the first week of unit 9, the books and fluency passages present ideas that contrast modern life to ancient civilizations. In week 2, unit 9 explores culture in an ancient market in Market Morning, highlights modern teamwork on a youth sports team in the passage “Teamwork,” and presents present-day efforts to care for the environment in The Seahorse. In week 3, texts such as The Emperor I Never Saw and The Boy Who Was Pharaoh use historical fiction and grade-appropriate nonfiction to explore rulers who shaped their communities.
Evaluation for 6.A.1d
Each unit lasts three weeks, and there is one Essential Question. Throughout the three weeks, students are exposed to many different texts across topics and genres that all connect to the overarching unit theme. The scope and sequence lists the unit titles and text sets.
In unit 4 “Once Upon a Story,” students read texts and have discussions to help them answer the Essential Question: “What do legends and folktales teach us about people and cultures around the world?” Students read stories such as How Anansi Brought Stories to the World, two versions of The Lion and the Mouse, John Henry and the Steel Driving Race, The Tale of the Old Man and the Hummingbird, and The Old Man Who Made Trees Bloom. Students also discuss, compare, and connect these texts because they share background knowledge.
Evaluation for 6.A.1e
The materials connect discussion activities to the lesson’s knowledge-building topic. Students discuss how heirlooms preserve family history, analyze illustrations and text evidence to describe characters, and explain their thinking through collaborative oral language activities. Across the curriculum, discussion routines consistently return students to the unit topic by asking them to apply newly learned vocabulary and concepts and to engage in text-based conversations that deepen their background knowledge.
The lessons include fluency and comprehension texts that are designed to intentionally build student background knowledge and are centered on a unit topic. In the educator dashboard, the “Resources” tab for each unit displays all the fluency and comprehension texts used to build background knowledge. For example, in unit 8 “Land and Life,” each text builds background knowledge about land and life on earth. Texts such as Changes to the Land, A Volcano: A Window Into the Deep Earth, and The Geologist’s Hammer focus on earth science topics such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and rocks.
Evaluation for 6.A.2a
The materials include a vertically aligned knowledge-building framework and scope and sequence that demonstrate how major thematic strands progress across grade levels. The “Program Architecture” intentionally revisits recurring themes such as “Amazing Animals,” progressing from “Animals All Around Us” in pre-K to “How Animals Live” in grade K before expanding to “Adaptations and Survival” and “Global Biodiversity” in later grades. Within lessons, the materials also activate students’ background knowledge by revisiting previously read texts and experiences from the current unit. For example, in unit 9, lesson 122, students recall the previous lesson’s anchor text about a wooden spoon passed across generations before making personal connections to family heirlooms and preparing to read the next selection. These routines support knowledge building within the current unit while reflecting the program’s vertically aligned thematic framework.
The materials provide vertical alignment among grade levels along with rationale for unit locations. The materials also provide grade-level academic vocabulary for each unit and grade level.
Evaluation for 6.A.2b
The materials activate or supply background knowledge, making cross-unit connections within the grade level. In “Course Design and Unit Sequence,” the materials explain that “Ascend Mastery is intentionally designed as a coherent K–5 literacy progression in which knowledge, language, and literacy skills increase in complexity across and within grade levels.” Units are not designed to function alone, as previous learned knowledge is a foundation to future learning. For example, unit 5, “A World of Wonders: Mysteries and Marvels,” connects cross-textual comparisons and scientific observations from earlier units to connect new learning that requires stronger evidence to determine themes and main ideas.
The materials provide vertical alignment among grade levels along with rationale for unit locations. The materials also provide grade-level academic vocabulary for each unit and grade level. The materials demonstrate cumulative knowledge building within individual units that activate or connect background knowledge across units within the grade level.
Evaluation for 6.A.2c
Each comprehension lesson starts with the educator providing students with background knowledge related to the unit theme and the comprehension texts for the week. In unit 8, lesson 106, students begin a unit on earth processes that change the land, water, and sky. The educator shows a picture of students performing an earthquake drill in their classroom. The educator then teaches that an earthquake is the ground shaking due to movements in the earth and explains the purpose of practicing earthquake drills.
The comprehension lesson in unit 3, lesson 31 includes a read-aloud of the text The Invisible Gecko, a story about a gecko who felt lonely because none of the other animals could see her. To provide students with context and activate background knowledge to increase engagement with this text, the educator script includes “How do people make friends? Sometimes people make friends by saying hello. Sometimes people make friends when they live in the same neighborhood or go to the same school and they like doing the same things. Sometimes it feels easy to make friends. Other times it can feel hard to make friends.” The materials then provide the oral language prompt “Think of one thing you would tell someone who is trying to make a new friend. Turn and talk to your partner.”
Evaluation for 6.A.3a
In lesson 31, students read the story The Invisible Gecko. Before reading, the students are prompted to answer the question “How do animals’ features and behaviors help them survive in their environments?” After reading, the educator script asks students questions to engage with the topic and theme: “How do Greta and Freddie respond when things are hard? What do they both do instead of giving up?” This allows students to make connections to the story and connects to the unit’s Essential Question “How do animals’ features and behaviors help them survive in their environments?”
Students explore science, history, nature, and stories to build a rich understanding of how the world works. In unit 4 “Once Upon a Story: Legends and Lore,” students explore the Essential Question “What do legends and folktales teach us about people and cultures around the world?” In week 1, students meet characters such as Anansi the Spider and Coyote, who use wit and creativity rather than strength to solve problems. In lesson 47, students discuss and write about what they would do if they were very small and the forest’s biggest animal needed their help. In week 2, students read folktales that reflect traditions from around the world. In lesson 52, students discuss with a partner a time when they used their thinking to solve a problem. In the final week of unit 4, students encounter heroes who use courage and wit to overcome challenges. In lesson 59, students draw on the legends and folktales they have read throughout the unit to answer the Essential Question.
Evaluation for 6.A.3b
Questions and tasks prompt students to synthesize knowledge and concepts across texts within lessons. In unit 4, lessons 47 and 48, students compare two versions of the fable The Lion and the Mouse, one from Aesop and the other from Panchatantra. The educator guides the discussion to identify similarities and differences between the two versions and the impact of those differences on their version. Throughout the lesson, students examine the two versions by analyzing the characters, setting, and overall moral. Students conclude the lesson by recognizing that people tell the same story all over the world and that, while the meaning remains similar, small changes in each version significantly affect the fables.
There is no opportunity for students to synthesize knowledge and concepts across texts within units. When a new unit starts, the lesson doesn’t provide guidance for educators on how to connect the previous unit to the current one. For example, unit 4 begins with this educator script: “We are starting a new unit called Legends and Lore. We will think about the question: What do legends and folktales teach us about people and cultures around the world?” There is no mention of prior units in the current units.
Evaluation for 6.A.3c
In unit 5, lesson 75 includes a writing assignment that requires students to reflect on all the space mysteries they explored in the unit. Students then write an opinion piece to support why they find one the most interesting. The unit 5 checkpoint directs students to write three–five sentences explaining one mystery or marvel they learned about in this unit, using details to explain what it is and why it is interesting or important.
On Assess, Write, Apply days, students are tasked with reading a trade book and connecting it to the weekly or unit Essential Question. How students show the connection between the unit and the text is left to the educator’s discretion, but students can demonstrate it orally or through acting, writing, or arguing for or against a statement from the text.
Evaluation for 6.A.3d
Each unit (15 lessons) ends with a discussion that helps students synthesize all they’ve learned from the texts they’ve read on the same topic. This approach helps students understand a topic more clearly and apply what they have learned to the real world. For example, unit 3 requires students to read many texts about animals. The Essential Question for the unit is “How do animals’ features and behaviors help them survive in their environments?” The discussion helps students recognize what they have learned about many animals with features and behaviors that help them survive in their environments. This enables students to apply a new understanding of animals and their survival based on the unit’s topic and Essential Question.
Each unit has a real-world connection that students should be making as they proceed through the 15 lessons. Educators facilitate discussions about texts students read and provide oral language prompts that encourage students to connect learning with their own lives. For example, while students practice comprehension strategies in unit 7 “Innovators and Innovations,” they also consider the Essential Question “How have people used creativity and invention to build and move in new ways over time?” Students read three fiction and three nonfiction texts throughout the unit. Educators make oral language prompts that encourage students to think beyond the classroom. For example, lesson 94’s oral language prompt is “What is something new you would like to try to make or build someday?”, which keeps students thinking about how inventions have changed throughout time.
Evaluation for 6.A.4a
The materials include a yearlong scope and sequence for building tiers two and three academic vocabulary in the context of intentional knowledge-building units. The materials include visual supports and educator guidance to explicitly introduce academic vocabulary words, help students determine each word’s meaning and whether students use it correctly in and out of context, and practice using the words through structured oral language practice.
In unit 6, lesson 83, during the comprehension portion of the lesson and before engaging with the lesson’s text, educators display academic vocabulary words on the screen that include an illustration of the word. Educator guidance prompts suggest hand gestures and movements for educators to use to help students understand the word’s meaning. Students then learn each word’s part of speech, repeat the words and their meaning, listen to the words used in and out of context, and then practice using the word by discussing their experience with the word with a partner.
Evaluation for 6.A.4b
The comprehension portion of each unit’s lesson provides opportunities for students to practice using and applying recently acquired key academic vocabulary and grade-level concepts. The “Teacher Notes” pop-out contains language scaffolds and supports for differentiation. Each unit’s “Differentiation” tab supports educators in differentiating students’ vocabulary development through text sets with three levels of text complexity (below, at, and above level), all focused on a shared comprehension goal. Educators use these text sets to support vocabulary development, guide students to apply academic vocabulary in written responses, and help students use academic vocabulary with sentence frames. The “Differentiation” tab also provides access to the “Planning” and “Resources” tabs, which offer educators scripted lessons and explicit guidance to further support students based on their instructional level (“developing,” “progressing,” or “proficient”).
The differentiation guide offers students opportunities to practice and apply academic vocabulary using language scaffolds and supports. Additionally, the guide asks educators to read the text using instructional routines to support vocabulary, provide scaffolded vocabulary support, and use sentence frames to scaffold oral and written responses as needed. The unit 8, week 3 lesson in the guide provides comprehension questions that require students to use vocabulary from the text in a written response. The “Written Response Checklist” includes a bonus component that allows students to earn credit for using a vocabulary word from the text in their written response.
Evaluation for 6.A.4c
Each lesson gives students opportunities to use key academic vocabulary purposefully during the comprehension portion. Before reading the lesson text, educators introduce key academic vocabulary, teach the word’s meaning, and guide students to practice using the words through structured oral language activities.
In unit 5, lesson 64, educators complete a read-aloud using a previously read text. The lesson guides educators to use designated pause points to support engagement and comprehension. While reading the next text selection, the lesson notes that “Readers describe how scientific ideas from the text...” signaling that educators should prompt students to connect ideas. Educators then read pairs of scientific ideas from the text and ask students to link their fingers to show the ideas are connected, telling students they will be called on to explain how the ideas are connected. During oral language practice, students work with a partner to share two scientific ideas from the text and explain how they are connected. In the lesson’s conclusion, educators ask students to brainstorm how paleontologists find and dig up fossils. Before students begin writing, the lesson has them explain one thing paleontologists do when they find a fossil. After students complete their sentences, educators ask students to read them to a partner.
Evaluation for 6.A.4d
Each lesson includes a visual support for educators to use when introducing academic vocabulary. Educators can project or enlarge an image during instruction, and guidance is provided for educators to perform a physical movement to help deepen students’ understanding of key academic vocabulary. In unit 5, lesson 63, educators display the word submersible along with an image of a submarine. The materials then guide educators to “Make a small oval shape with your hands and move it down like it is diving underwater.”
The materials include nonverbal teaching techniques to support students in acquiring key academic vocabulary, such as images and visualization. For example, in lesson 33, for the vocabulary word texture, the educator script reads “Rub your fingertips together like you are feeling something.”
Evaluation for 6.B.1a
The materials support instruction for students to ask and generate questions for inquiry with adult assistance. In unit 8, lesson 108, the educator defines a research question as “a question we really want to investigate” and explains that strong readers “generate a focused question.” The educator then models how to develop a research question from the text by asking, “What can we learn about the inside of the Earth even though humans cannot go there?” and prompts students to explain why the research question is good. These supports help adults assist students in recognizing and generating appropriate research questions.
In unit 9, lesson 130, the educator gives a question word and the students help the educator finish the question “How did ancient civilizations ___?” After students brainstorm ways to finish the research question, the educator presents the class research question and guides students as they research to find answers in a text.
Evaluation for 6.B.1b
The writing lessons associated with research include educator-facilitated conversations to develop a research plan. For example, in unit 9, lesson 125, the educator script says, “We are looking for facts that help answer our research question. That is our research plan. Now we are ready to read.” The educator closely guides students through the research process. The educator generates the research question that students investigate. The educator creates a research plan with one step and selects the books for gathering information. Because the materials instruct the educator to tightly control the research process, students simply follow the plan.
In unit 9, students learn about ancient Rome. Students engage in educator-guided research three times throughout the 15-day lessons. The educator script identifies the research plan for the students. Each lesson’s educator script directly states that the research plan includes restating the class research question, what texts students would read to find information, and what students will do with the information they find. The students follow the educator, who follows the research plan.
Evaluation for 6.B.1c
The materials provide guidance for students to gather information from a source and identify whether a text is a primary or secondary source. However, they do not provide opportunities for students to engage with a variety of sources or complete differentiated activities and tasks using primary and secondary sources. In each informational research lesson, students gather information from a single educator-selected text rather than multiple sources.
For example, in unit 9, lesson 125, after the educator presents the class research question and creates the research plan, the educator introduces the text The First City and explains, “We are looking for facts that help answer our research question.” After reading the text aloud, students identify facts from the text that answer the research question and record their findings on whiteboards or in journals or notebooks. The research process is limited to the information provided in the selected text and does not require students to gather and compare information from multiple sources.
In lesson 135, students generate a research question before reading a text about ancient Rome. The educator introduces the book and guides students in identifying whether the text is a primary or secondary source. While this provides guidance for recognizing source types, the materials do not include activities and tasks that require students to gather information from both primary and secondary sources or use multiple sources to answer a research question.
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 instructional units are concentrated in the areas of history, science, and literature. The scope and sequence identifies units 1, 7, and 9 as history-based units; units 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8 as science-based units; and units 4 and 10 as literature-based units. In unit 7, week 3, the topic is “Stories in Stone.” Students learn about architectural features that add decorative elements, such as gargoyles and mosaics.
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 are designed for pre-K–grade 5 students to move through similarly connected units. For example, unit 3 in every grade focuses on animal habitats, lifecycles, and characteristics. In grade 2, students learn about animal adaptations and survival, while in grade 3, they study global biodiversity.
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 units are designed for students to spend extended time on connected knowledge-building topics and texts. Unit 9 “Traveling Through Time: How Humans Built Civilizations” gives students three weeks to explore how the actions and achievements of people long ago continue to shape the world today. Lesson 121 introduces The Cool Floor, which lets students glimpse an ancient family’s life and home before the development of electrification. Throughout the first week of unit 9, the books and fluency passages present ideas that contrast modern life to ancient civilizations. In week 2, unit 9 explores culture in an ancient market in Market Morning, highlights modern teamwork on a youth sports team in the passage “Teamwork,” and presents present-day efforts to care for the environment in The Seahorse. In week 3, texts such as The Emperor I Never Saw and The Boy Who Was Pharaoh use historical fiction and grade-appropriate nonfiction to explore rulers who shaped their communities.
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
In unit 4 “Once Upon a Story,” students read texts and have discussions to help them answer the Essential Question: “What do legends and folktales teach us about people and cultures around the world?” Students read stories such as How Anansi Brought Stories to the World, two versions of The Lion and the Mouse, John Henry and the Steel Driving Race, The Tale of the Old Man and the Hummingbird, and The Old Man Who Made Trees Bloom. Students also discuss, compare, and connect these texts because they share background knowledge.
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 lessons include fluency and comprehension texts that are designed to intentionally build student background knowledge and are centered on a unit topic. In the educator dashboard, the “Resources” tab for each unit displays all the fluency and comprehension texts used to build background knowledge. For example, in unit 8 “Land and Life,” each text builds background knowledge about land and life on earth. Texts such as Changes to the Land, A Volcano: A Window Into the Deep Earth, and The Geologist’s Hammer focus on earth science topics such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and rocks.
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 provide vertical alignment among grade levels along with rationale for unit locations. The materials also provide grade-level academic vocabulary for each unit and grade level.
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 provide vertical alignment among grade levels along with rationale for unit locations. The materials also provide grade-level academic vocabulary for each unit and grade level. The materials demonstrate cumulative knowledge building within individual units that activate or connect background knowledge across units within the grade level.
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 comprehension lesson in unit 3, lesson 31 includes a read-aloud of the text The Invisible Gecko, a story about a gecko who felt lonely because none of the other animals could see her. To provide students with context and activate background knowledge to increase engagement with this text, the educator script includes “How do people make friends? Sometimes people make friends by saying hello. Sometimes people make friends when they live in the same neighborhood or go to the same school and they like doing the same things. Sometimes it feels easy to make friends. Other times it can feel hard to make friends.” The materials then provide the oral language prompt “Think of one thing you would tell someone who is trying to make a new friend. Turn and talk to your partner.”
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 explore science, history, nature, and stories to build a rich understanding of how the world works. In unit 4 “Once Upon a Story: Legends and Lore,” students explore the Essential Question “What do legends and folktales teach us about people and cultures around the world?” In week 1, students meet characters such as Anansi the Spider and Coyote, who use wit and creativity rather than strength to solve problems. In lesson 47, students discuss and write about what they would do if they were very small and the forest’s biggest animal needed their help. In week 2, students read folktales that reflect traditions from around the world. In lesson 52, students discuss with a partner a time when they used their thinking to solve a problem. In the final week of unit 4, students encounter heroes who use courage and wit to overcome challenges. In lesson 59, students draw on the legends and folktales they have read throughout the unit to answer the Essential Question.
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)
1 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)
1 out of 2 points
There is no opportunity for students to synthesize knowledge and concepts across texts within units. When a new unit starts, the lesson doesn’t provide guidance for educators on how to connect the previous unit to the current one. For example, unit 4 begins with this educator script: “We are starting a new unit called Legends and Lore. We will think about the question: What do legends and folktales teach us about people and cultures around the world?” There is no mention of prior units in the current units.
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
On Assess, Write, Apply days, students are tasked with reading a trade book and connecting it to the weekly or unit Essential Question. How students show the connection between the unit and the text is left to the educator’s discretion, but students can demonstrate it orally or through acting, writing, or arguing for or against a statement from the text.
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
Each unit has a real-world connection that students should be making as they proceed through the 15 lessons. Educators facilitate discussions about texts students read and provide oral language prompts that encourage students to connect learning with their own lives. For example, while students practice comprehension strategies in unit 7 “Innovators and Innovations,” they also consider the Essential Question “How have people used creativity and invention to build and move in new ways over time?” Students read three fiction and three nonfiction texts throughout the unit. Educators make oral language prompts that encourage students to think beyond the classroom. For example, lesson 94’s oral language prompt is “What is something new you would like to try to make or build someday?”, which keeps students thinking about how inventions have changed throughout time.
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
In unit 6, lesson 83, during the comprehension portion of the lesson and before engaging with the lesson’s text, educators display academic vocabulary words on the screen that include an illustration of the word. Educator guidance prompts suggest hand gestures and movements for educators to use to help students understand the word’s meaning. Students then learn each word’s part of speech, repeat the words and their meaning, listen to the words used in and out of context, and then practice using the word by discussing their experience with the word with a partner.
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 differentiation guide offers students opportunities to practice and apply academic vocabulary using language scaffolds and supports. Additionally, the guide asks educators to read the text using instructional routines to support vocabulary, provide scaffolded vocabulary support, and use sentence frames to scaffold oral and written responses as needed. The unit 8, week 3 lesson in the guide provides comprehension questions that require students to use vocabulary from the text in a written response. The “Written Response Checklist” includes a bonus component that allows students to earn credit for using a vocabulary word from the text in their written response.
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
In unit 5, lesson 64, educators complete a read-aloud using a previously read text. The lesson guides educators to use designated pause points to support engagement and comprehension. While reading the next text selection, the lesson notes that “Readers describe how scientific ideas from the text...” signaling that educators should prompt students to connect ideas. Educators then read pairs of scientific ideas from the text and ask students to link their fingers to show the ideas are connected, telling students they will be called on to explain how the ideas are connected. During oral language practice, students work with a partner to share two scientific ideas from the text and explain how they are connected. In the lesson’s conclusion, educators ask students to brainstorm how paleontologists find and dig up fossils. Before students begin writing, the lesson has them explain one thing paleontologists do when they find a fossil. After students complete their sentences, educators ask students to read them to a partner.
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 include nonverbal teaching techniques to support students in acquiring key academic vocabulary, such as images and visualization. For example, in lesson 33, for the vocabulary word texture, the educator script reads “Rub your fingertips together like you are feeling something.”
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
In unit 9, lesson 130, the educator gives a question word and the students help the educator finish the question “How did ancient civilizations ___?” After students brainstorm ways to finish the research question, the educator presents the class research question and guides students as they research to find answers in a text.
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
In unit 9, students learn about ancient Rome. Students engage in educator-guided research three times throughout the 15-day lessons. The educator script identifies the research plan for the students. Each lesson’s educator script directly states that the research plan includes restating the class research question, what texts students would read to find information, and what students will do with the information they find. The students follow the educator, who follows the research plan.
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)
1 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)
1 out of 3 points
For example, in unit 9, lesson 125, after the educator presents the class research question and creates the research plan, the educator introduces the text The First City and explains, “We are looking for facts that help answer our research question.” After reading the text aloud, students identify facts from the text that answer the research question and record their findings on whiteboards or in journals or notebooks. The research process is limited to the information provided in the selected text and does not require students to gather and compare information from multiple sources.
In lesson 135, students generate a research question before reading a text about ancient Rome. The educator introduces the book and guides students in identifying whether the text is a primary or secondary source. While this provides guidance for recognizing source types, the materials do not include activities and tasks that require students to gather information from both primary and secondary sources or use multiple sources to answer a research question.
Rubric Section 7
Text Quality and Complexity
Materials ensure students spend a majority of their time interacting with increasingly complex grade-level text.
Total
62% (21 out of 34 points)
Evaluation for 7.1a
Limited core texts are used for instruction (comprehension texts) and are written at grade level when evaluated using research-based measures of text complexity according to the Text System Guide. This document lists all of the comprehension texts used throughout the materials alongside the Lexile levels. Lexile levels for comprehension texts listed range from 300L–860L. In fact, 48 out of the 60 texts are above grade 2 Lexile range. Furthermore, some titles in the Text System Guide do not match the text titles in the lessons.
The Text System Guide provides evidence of Lexile levels for trade books and comprehension texts. The “Differentiated Comprehension” document states that resources include weekly multilevel text sets and single-level comprehension texts aligned to instructional units and comprehension focuses. Each weekly set includes below-level text, at-level text, and above-level text. However, the grade 2 Lexile range is 420L–650L. The trade books listed range from 580–680L.
Evaluation for 7.1b
Several comprehension texts contain confusing or incomplete elements and appear to be unfinished. For example, in unit 3, lessons 31 and 32, the title The New Kid Was a Walking Leaf is not supported by the story. The main character is never identified as a “new kid,” and the phrase walking leaf is never explained or connected to the text. Instead, the story focuses on a dead leaf butterfly, making the title confusing and disconnected from the content.
The materials also omit key text features that are necessary to support comprehension. In unit 9, lesson 121, students read The Cool Floor, but the version accessed through the “Launch” button contains blank pages where illustrations should appear. The accompanying lesson asks students to use illustrations to better understand the characters, yet no illustrations are provided. When lessons rely on missing visual features, students cannot fully engage with the intended learning task, demonstrating that the texts and accompanying materials are not of publishable quality.
Evaluation for 7.1c
The materials include traditional, contemporary, and diverse texts across multiple content areas. For example, unit 4, lessons 46–49 present two versions of the fable The Lion and The Mouse. Lessons 46 and 47 feature Aesop’s fable, and lessons 48 and 49 present a version from India.
Texts throughout the materials feature culturally diverse characters in all genres and content areas.The program also uses contemporary texts throughout the material. For example, the book The Best Deal in the Third Grade appears in unit 1, lessons 6 and 7.
Evaluation for 7.1d
The decodable texts feature a variety of stories with characters from diverse backgrounds in familiar, age-appropriate settings. For example, decodable book 16 Phan and Reed shows a child using a wheelchair racing with a friend who runs on both legs, highlighting their shared experience encountering a goose on the path. Additional selections show characters from diverse backgrounds interacting in familiar classroom settings. For example, decodable book 25 Pearl, Charlie, and the Pyramid and decodable book 30 A Mystery Noise in School depict diverse characters in the illustrations, allowing students from different backgrounds to see themselves represented while engaging with the narratives.
The materials include informational decodable texts on familiar, age-appropriate topics that connect to students’ everyday experiences. For example, decodable book 18 A Messy Sneeze shows how germs spread through relatable situations, engaging illustrations, and accessible language. In decodable book 17 Extend and Contract, students discover how muscles and bones help the body move by reading informational text supported by diagrams and photographs that make the concepts meaningful and accessible.
Evaluation for 7.2a
The 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. Students engage with grade-level literary and informational texts through educator read-alouds, pause points, discussion prompts, partner conversations, and text-dependent questions that encourage students to analyze ideas and support their responses with evidence from the text. The materials do not provide opportunities for students to justify their thinking in writing about the grade-level texts used during comprehension instruction.
For example, in lesson 24, students engage with the text The Drop That Used to Be the Pacific. During pause points, students consider what the character may be realizing and make connections to real-world concepts. Students orally share information from the text about the age of water and the water cycle with a partner and then discuss their understanding of the text. Students complete a writing task connected to what they learned. However, writing activities throughout the program are not connected to the grade-level texts used during comprehension lessons. For example, in lesson 124, students read Four Roofs Four Worlds during comprehension instruction, but the writing connection focuses on a different text, Amazing Builders of Long Ago. As a result, students have opportunities to listen, think, critically respond, and justify their thinking orally about grade-level texts, but they do not have opportunities to justify their thinking in writing about those texts.
Evaluation for 7.2b
The materials contain daily comprehension lessons. Educators instruct students on two different components of comprehension using the same book. Each day, students discuss specific aspects of the grade-level text. For example, in unit 3, lesson 32, students revisit the text The New Kid Was a Walking Leaf. The educator guides students as they track Joon’s character change throughout the story. They prompt the class with questions such as “This is the middle. Something happens here that changes Joon. What is the event that changes her?” Students answer and discuss how seeing the butterfly move shows Joon that things happen around her all the time that she might not notice. The lesson continues as the educator invites students to share their thoughts about the text. At the end of the lesson, the educator provides an oral prompt for students to discuss with a partner, summarizing the comprehension work for the day.
Students discuss vocabulary in every comprehension lesson, and the lessons focus on other literary aspects. In unit 2, students study setting, plot elements such as problem and resolution, and sequence events. In unit 3, students practice making inferences, identifying cause and effect, and analyzing character traits. All comprehension lessons fit into three categories: understanding stories and text, print and book awareness, and making connections.
Evaluation for 7.2c
The materials provide opportunities for students who demonstrate proficiency to engage in additional analysis of grade-level texts. The Differentiation routine included in the materials allows students to engage with an Essential Question at varying levels. Students revisit the lesson, turn and talk, choose a way to share their thinking, and reflect.
The materials include opportunities in each lesson for students to engage in a variety of reading skills with grade-level text. In unit 3, lesson 34, students listen to What Counts as Camouflage. The educator asks, “What is the important difference between concealing camouflage and disruptive camouflage?” and prompts students to analyze the similarities and differences between the two types of camouflage in the text. After reading, the educator asks, “How does this ending connect to what the author says at the very beginning about camouflage being more than just blending in?” and prompts students to synthesize ideas from the beginning and end of the text to explain how the author develops the central message. Throughout the lesson, students use multiple reading skills, including analyzing and synthesizing information from the text.
Evaluation for 7.3a
In lesson 37, students participate in rigorous comprehension instruction, with scaffolded questioning, guided discussion, and educator-supported routines that deepen their understanding of grade-level texts. Students review vocabulary for The Wildebeest Who Hated the Crossing and then identify the climax of the story. Oral language support includes sentence stems.
In unit 3, lesson 33 instructs the educator to activate students’ background knowledge by reminding them what camouflage means. During the read-aloud, the educator pauses to prompt visualization as a comprehension scaffold. In the sidebar, the materials offer additional oral language support by directing the educator to use the sentence frames.
Evaluation for 7.3b
The materials provide opportunities for students who demonstrate proficiency to engage in additional analysis of grade-level texts through the Decodable Reader Proficient routine. This routine lets students continue practicing the phonics skill and gives them more opportunities to extend their thinking. After reading the week’s decodable reader, students choose one of five activities to complete independently: Write and Share, Act It Out, Talk about the Story, Make a Connection, or What Comes Next. These activities encourage creative learning and allow challenging thinking, since they are already proficient with the phonics skill.
The “Proficient Routine – Essential Question” document gives students who demonstrate proficiency on weekly checkpoints, unit checkpoints, and in-lesson observations an opportunity to extend their learning through evidence-based thinking, discussion, and creative or written responses to the Essential Question. The materials instruct the educator to read the Essential Question with students and prompt them to think about the texts they read during the week. Finally, students share their responses with a partner or small group and reflect on whether their thinking about the Essential Question has changed, grown, or become more specific.
Evaluation for 7.4a
The materials include quantitative information for each core text through the Text System Guide, which identifies the title, genre, Lexile measure, word count, and targeted vocabulary for each comprehension reader. These quantitative measures provide basic information about text complexity and support the identification of grade-level placement. The guide also describes the overall instructional role of the comprehension texts within the program, providing a general explanation of how the texts are used to support literacy instruction.
The materials do not include qualitative analyses of each core text, state the educational purpose of using the book, nor describe how it aligns with the standards of the grade level. For example, the first core text used is The Suburb Where the Sidewalk Stopped. The materials identify the text as fiction and list a 670L Lexile measure, a word count of 692 words, and the vocabulary words suburb, cul-de-sac, wander, flicker, and vanish.
Evaluation for 7.4b
The materials rely solely on Lexile levels to determine complexity, with no qualitative analysis of factors such as theme, structure, or language. The grade 2 Lexile range is 420L–650L. The overview lists the multilevel core texts at the beginning level (830L), on level (940L), and above level (1010L). The overview also lists single-level Lexile ranges for core texts as 900L–1010L. These ranges do not meet Lexile level ranges for grade 2 students.
The core decodable texts do not have a complexity level because there is no qualitative analysis. Only a decodability percentage is provided. Core texts in the materials lack a qualitative analysis; therefore, they cannot be reviewed for an appropriate level of complexity for the grade.
Evaluation for 7.5a
The read-alouds are at or above grade level according to Lexile levels. The Text System Guide lists The Giant Squid Gives an Interview at a Lexile level of 300L. The grade 2 Lexile range is 420L–650L. The read-aloud topics are age appropriate and include topics that interest young children, such as animals, weather, space, and children from around the world. The read-alouds do not contain a variety of structures. The material offers three poems, 26 fiction books, one fiction passage, one nonfiction book, and 29 fiction passages. Dramas/plays are not covered in this material, although students understanding the structure of dramas is required by the TEKS. There are many nonfiction books available for children.
The shared-reading fluency passages do not have Lexile levels attached, but they have a variety of sentence structures, phonics skills, and high-frequency words that make them seem to be at grade-level complexity. The passages are age appropriate, as they include fiction and nonfiction texts on engaging topics for students, such as animals, weather, space, and children from around the world. The shared readings do not contain varied structures. They are always written in paragraph form with a basic fiction or nonfiction text structure.
Evaluation for 7.5b
The Text System Guide states that students read independently using the trade books and classroom libraries for each grade. The materials do not indicate whether the texts for independent reading span a range of complexity levels, because each classroom library differs. The curriculum does not include a list of trade books or a rationale.
The materials also identify differentiated comprehension texts as an option for independent reading. These texts are organized into below-, on-, and above-level sets for each unit; however, the documented Lexile levels (830L, 940L, and 1010L) significantly exceed the recommended range for grade 2 independent reading. The differentiated comprehension texts present only short passages, lack substantial illustrations, and do not include a rationale or additional documented measures of text complexity beyond the reported Lexile ranges. While the texts differ in complexity, the documented levels show they are not suitable for independent reading at grade 2.
Evaluation for 7.5c
The materials do not include a plan for students to independently read self-selected texts. The scope and sequence describes recurring opportunities for independent application through connected reading, fluency practice, comprehension tasks, writing activities, and ongoing assessment routines that support sustained engagement and accountability across units. However, the only texts indicated for independent reading are differentiated comprehension texts and decodable readers, and the educator chooses the text for students. The educator guidance for the differentiated reading routine directs educators to read the texts to support comprehension, vocabulary, and discussion; discuss comprehension questions to monitor understanding; and guide students through written responses.
The materials do not offer lessons that introduce students to independent reading, such as how to stay focused when reading, how to think about what you are reading, or how to pick a just-right book. Students read independently for short periods when they reread a fluency passage or complete a differentiated text assignment, but they do not choose the texts themselves. The materials do not include explicit time for students to read independently for a sustained period.
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.
0 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.
0 out of 1 points
The Text System Guide provides evidence of Lexile levels for trade books and comprehension texts. The “Differentiated Comprehension” document states that resources include weekly multilevel text sets and single-level comprehension texts aligned to instructional units and comprehension focuses. Each weekly set includes below-level text, at-level text, and above-level text. However, the grade 2 Lexile range is 420L–650L. The trade books listed range from 580–680L.
7.1b
Texts are well-crafted and are of publishable quality.
Texts are well-crafted and are of publishable quality.
0 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 7.1b
Evaluation for 7.1b
Texts are well-crafted and are of publishable quality.
0 out of 1 points
The materials also omit key text features that are necessary to support comprehension. In unit 9, lesson 121, students read The Cool Floor, but the version accessed through the “Launch” button contains blank pages where illustrations should appear. The accompanying lesson asks students to use illustrations to better understand the characters, yet no illustrations are provided. When lessons rely on missing visual features, students cannot fully engage with the intended learning task, demonstrating that the texts and accompanying materials are not of publishable quality.
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
Texts throughout the materials feature culturally diverse characters in all genres and content areas.The program also uses contemporary texts throughout the material. For example, the book The Best Deal in the Third Grade appears in unit 1, lessons 6 and 7.
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 include informational decodable texts on familiar, age-appropriate topics that connect to students’ everyday experiences. For example, decodable book 18 A Messy Sneeze shows how germs spread through relatable situations, engaging illustrations, and accessible language. In decodable book 17 Extend and Contract, students discover how muscles and bones help the body move by reading informational text supported by diagrams and photographs that make the concepts meaningful and accessible.
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)
4 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)
4 out of 5 points
For example, in lesson 24, students engage with the text The Drop That Used to Be the Pacific. During pause points, students consider what the character may be realizing and make connections to real-world concepts. Students orally share information from the text about the age of water and the water cycle with a partner and then discuss their understanding of the text. Students complete a writing task connected to what they learned. However, writing activities throughout the program are not connected to the grade-level texts used during comprehension lessons. For example, in lesson 124, students read Four Roofs Four Worlds during comprehension instruction, but the writing connection focuses on a different text, Amazing Builders of Long Ago. As a result, students have opportunities to listen, think, critically respond, and justify their thinking orally about grade-level texts, but they do not have opportunities to justify their thinking in writing about those texts.
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 discuss vocabulary in every comprehension lesson, and the lessons focus on other literary aspects. In unit 2, students study setting, plot elements such as problem and resolution, and sequence events. In unit 3, students practice making inferences, identifying cause and effect, and analyzing character traits. All comprehension lessons fit into three categories: understanding stories and text, print and book awareness, and making connections.
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
The materials include opportunities in each lesson for students to engage in a variety of reading skills with grade-level text. In unit 3, lesson 34, students listen to What Counts as Camouflage. The educator asks, “What is the important difference between concealing camouflage and disruptive camouflage?” and prompts students to analyze the similarities and differences between the two types of camouflage in the text. After reading, the educator asks, “How does this ending connect to what the author says at the very beginning about camouflage being more than just blending in?” and prompts students to synthesize ideas from the beginning and end of the text to explain how the author develops the central message. Throughout the lesson, students use multiple reading skills, including analyzing and synthesizing information from the text.
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
In unit 3, lesson 33 instructs the educator to activate students’ background knowledge by reminding them what camouflage means. During the read-aloud, the educator pauses to prompt visualization as a comprehension scaffold. In the sidebar, the materials offer additional oral language support by directing the educator to use the sentence frames.
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 “Proficient Routine – Essential Question” document gives students who demonstrate proficiency on weekly checkpoints, unit checkpoints, and in-lesson observations an opportunity to extend their learning through evidence-based thinking, discussion, and creative or written responses to the Essential Question. The materials instruct the educator to read the Essential Question with students and prompt them to think about the texts they read during the week. Finally, students share their responses with a partner or small group and reflect on whether their thinking about the Essential Question has changed, grown, or become more specific.
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.
2 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.
2 out of 4 points
The materials do not include qualitative analyses of each core text, state the educational purpose of using the book, nor describe how it aligns with the standards of the grade level. For example, the first core text used is The Suburb Where the Sidewalk Stopped. The materials identify the text as fiction and list a 670L Lexile measure, a word count of 692 words, and the vocabulary words suburb, cul-de-sac, wander, flicker, and vanish.
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.
1 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.
1 out of 2 points
The core decodable texts do not have a complexity level because there is no qualitative analysis. Only a decodability percentage is provided. Core texts in the materials lack a qualitative analysis; therefore, they cannot be reviewed for an appropriate level of complexity for the grade.
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.
4 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.
4 out of 6 points
The shared-reading fluency passages do not have Lexile levels attached, but they have a variety of sentence structures, phonics skills, and high-frequency words that make them seem to be at grade-level complexity. The passages are age appropriate, as they include fiction and nonfiction texts on engaging topics for students, such as animals, weather, space, and children from around the world. The shared readings do not contain varied structures. They are always written in paragraph form with a basic fiction or nonfiction text structure.
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)
0 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)
0 out of 1 points
The materials also identify differentiated comprehension texts as an option for independent reading. These texts are organized into below-, on-, and above-level sets for each unit; however, the documented Lexile levels (830L, 940L, and 1010L) significantly exceed the recommended range for grade 2 independent reading. The differentiated comprehension texts present only short passages, lack substantial illustrations, and do not include a rationale or additional documented measures of text complexity beyond the reported Lexile ranges. While the texts differ in complexity, the documented levels show they are not suitable for independent reading at grade 2.
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)
0 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)
0 out of 4 points
The materials do not offer lessons that introduce students to independent reading, such as how to stay focused when reading, how to think about what you are reading, or how to pick a just-right book. Students read independently for short periods when they reread a fluency passage or complete a differentiated text assignment, but they do not choose the texts themselves. The materials do not include explicit time for students to read independently for a sustained period.
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
75% (40 out of 53 points)
Evaluation for 8.A.1a
Throughout comprehension instruction, students engage with grade-level literary and informational texts by answering questions that require them to identify relevant details, explain their thinking, and support their responses with textual evidence. Educator-guided questioning and structured response routines consistently prompt students to return to the text as they develop and explain their ideas.
For example, in unit 10, lesson 136, students read The Stranger on the Train to learn how to select the strongest evidence to support a claim. The educator asks text-dependent questions that require students to identify details from the text and explain how those details support their responses. Students use evidence from the text to justify their thinking and determine which evidence best supports a claim.
Evaluation for 8.A.1b
The materials include text-dependent questions and tasks that require students to use evidence when evaluating language, key ideas, details, author’s craft, and text structure. Throughout comprehension instruction, students analyze grade-level literary and informational texts by identifying important details, examining author choices, determining main ideas, and explaining how text features and structures contribute to meaning. Educator-guided questions consistently require students to support their responses with evidence from the text.
For example, in unit 9, lesson 126, students read Market Morning and use textual evidence to share ideas about the text. The educator asks questions that require students to evaluate key ideas and details, including how characters respond to events and how important details contribute to understanding the text. Students support their responses with evidence from the text.
Students also evaluate the author’s craft and text structure through evidence-based comprehension tasks across the instructional year. In unit 7, lesson 93, students read The First Cars Were Terrible and identify the author’s purpose using evidence from the text. Students explain how specific details support the author’s purpose and analyze how the author presents information. These recurring tasks provide students with opportunities to evaluate language, key ideas, details, craft, and structure through evidence-based analysis.
Evaluation for 8.A.1c
The materials include questions and tasks that require students to support their claims and justify their thinking through a variety of evidence-based strategies. Throughout comprehension instruction, students discuss key ideas, summarize information, and explain their thinking using evidence from literary and informational texts. Educator questioning and discussion routines require students to connect their responses to details from the text.
For example, in unit 7, lesson 93, students discuss the author’s purpose in The First Cars Were Terrible and identify evidence from the text to support their thinking. Students use discussion and evidence-based responses to explain how details from the text support the author’s purpose. Across lessons, students summarize text information and use evidence to justify their interpretations of key ideas.
Evaluation for 8.A.1d
The materials include questions and tasks designed at multiple levels of cognitive complexity, providing opportunities for students to analyze literary and informational texts. Throughout comprehension instruction, students respond to questions that progress from identifying explicit details to making inferences, analyzing author choices, determining main ideas, and explaining relationships among ideas in a text. Educator-guided questioning routines provide repeated opportunities for students to engage in increasingly complex text analysis.
For example, in unit 7, lesson 93, students reread The First Cars Were Terrible and respond to questions requiring prediction, visualization, identification of the author’s purpose, and support of opinions with evidence from the text. Students move beyond recalling information by analyzing why the author included specific details and how those details contribute to the overall meaning of the text. Similarly, in unit 9, lesson 126, students analyze Market Morning by identifying key ideas and selecting textual evidence to support their understanding. These tasks provide students with consistent opportunities to engage with texts at varied levels of cognitive complexity.
Evaluation for 8.A.2a
In lesson 92, Letters from the Wagon Trail includes an educator script to guide students in citing evidence from multiple parts of the text. It provides sentence stems that help students cite evidence-based claims on their own.
In unit 1, lesson 2, the educator models how students can describe Imani using textual evidence and illustrations from the text. The educator script helps the students see how the traits connect directly to the text evidence. The educator’s script clearly connects the traits with the text evidence, so students can see how this process works.
Evaluation for 8.A.2b
Comprehension instruction incorporates collaborative discussion routines and evidence-based questioning to deepen understanding of connected texts. In lesson 126, students use academic vocabulary to discuss the theme of the story using text evidence.
In unit 7, lesson 93, the educator script provides guidance for teaching students how to identify the author’s main purpose using text evidence. The script engages students in discussion using academic vocabulary such as the author’s purpose and evidence.
Evaluation for 8.B.1a
The material includes educator-written mentor texts every five lessons. Every five lessons, students participate in an Assess, Write, Apply day to demonstrate what they can do. On these days, students complete the writing process all in one day, with more modeling evident. For example, in unit 1, lesson 5, the educator script models writing a fictional piece for students to follow. The material uses the acronym SPARK (say who and where, problem or big event, actions, result, keep a clear ending) to cover all the parts. The educator completes each letter of the word and then gives students time to write their own story using SPARK. For informational pieces, the material uses the acronym TREE (tell your topic, report facts or reasons, explain your examples, end your writing) to address all parts of the writing.
In unit 6, lesson 85 presents a mentor text for students to compose an informational text. In this lesson, the educator creates an informational writing model for each part of the text.
Evaluation for 8.B.1b
Throughout the year, students write for a variety of purposes and genres. The materials prompt students to share their writing in multiple ways, such as partner share, digital book, writing wall, author’s chair, and digital read-aloud. In unit 10, lesson 150, students change the audience and write a letter.
The materials include many opportunities for students to write literary texts throughout the year. The materials include many purposes, such as imagining that they find a new community (unit 1, lesson 5), that they encounter a remarkable animal (unit 3, lesson 35), or that they can disguise themselves as any object (unit 3, lesson 32). Educators provide students with writing purposes and a model for how to start their piece.
Evaluation for 8.B.1c
In unit 1, lesson 10, students write an informative paragraph about how people work together in communities. Later in the year, in unit 7, lesson 100, students write an informational paragraph about one of history’s great building marvels and the people who made it possible. For each informational text students write throughout the year, they include genre-specific characteristics using the TREE acronym: tell your topic, report facts or reasons, explain your examples, and end your writing.
Writing instruction gives students opportunities to compose informational texts using topic vocabulary; organized details; and content they gather from reading, discussion, and thematic learning experiences. In lesson 5, students write informational reports on topics such as famous historical figures or natural phenomena. After students research a topic, they organize their writing into an introduction, facts, and a conclusion, using transitional words such as first, next, and finally to structure their ideas. This task helps them practice crafting informational texts for specific audiences with clear explanations and facts.
Evaluation for 8.B.1d
This guidance is not applicable to kindergarten and grades 1–2 because it only applies to grade 3.
Evaluation for 8.B.1e
The materials include genre-specific characteristics that students should follow when writing their letter. The materials include educator guidance to explicitly teach the salutation, purpose sentence, and closing. Students are tasked with writing a letter to a friend.
The materials do not include opportunities throughout the year for students to compose correspondence with genre-specific characteristics and craft. According to the scope and sequence, only lesson 150 focuses on friendly-letter writing. This lesson is at the very end of the year. Lessons 106 and 108 cover adding commas in letter greetings and closures, but students do not actually write any correspondence.
Evaluation for 8.B.2a
The materials support students’ coherent use of the elements of the writing process, including planning and drafting, to compose text. For example, in unit 1, lesson 5 provides educator guidance and opportunities for students to plan a narrative using the SPARK strategy. The educator models this strategy, one step at a time, to plan a narrative. As the educator completes each step of the planning process, students plan their own narratives, step-by-step. After planning, students draft their narratives using their plans.
The materials support students’ use of the writing process to compose narrative texts, which includes planning, drafting, revising, conferring, editing, and sharing/publishing. Students work through the writing process for narrative texts once every 15 days. During this lesson, the educator models their own piece of writing as they plan and then complete it. For narrative texts, the material uses the SPARK strategy to ensure that all parts of their writing are completed. After students write their piece, the educator helps guide them in editing and revising by asking them questions such as “Does your problem help your story keep going? Does your story have a beginning, a middle, and an end? Does your story end in a way that feels done?” The educator confers with students if necessary and checks that the grammar skills learned in that unit are used correctly. Finally, students share their writing. The materials provide a variety of ways for students to share their writing, such as with a partner, in the author’s chair, or through digital recording.
Evaluation for 8.B.2b
The materials provide guidance for educators on how to model planning a writing piece. The educator follows the script and plans a piece in front of the students. The script also provides prompts the educator can use to help students who struggle to get started. The materials provide educator guidance for the drafting phase. Again, the educator follows the script and drafts a piece in front of the students. The script goes through each letter of the acronym used for writing, such as TREE and SPARK. The materials help students revise by providing prompts the educator can use for whole-group instruction to help students ensure their writing is effective.
The materials do not provide guidance on modeling, revising, editing, or conferencing. Some grammar lessons involve revising and editing, such as lesson 86, in which students learn about compound sentences and joining words (they do not learn the word conjunctions). However, the educator applies these lessons to the texts students have been reading, and students do not receive explicit instruction on how to do this in their own writing. When students practice joining two sentences, they use sentences the educator provides, not their own compositions. Additionally, the materials do not provide opportunities for conferencing or using dedicated time to work with one writer. The materials provide options for the educator to use when sharing, but there is no modeling of how to use them.
Evaluation for 8.B.3a
Focused practice with academic vocabulary and grammatical structures helps students improve sentence clarity and complexity. Lesson 26 teaches students how to expand simple sentences. Students determine if educator-scripted sentences are simple or incomplete and then create their own and check with a partner. The lesson then connects the sentences to the reading passage of the day.
The materials include guidance for educators to provide explicit instruction in sentence-level writing, with a focus on vocabulary. For example, in the grammar lesson in unit 3, lesson 31, the guidance and educator script focus on vocabulary, teaching shades of meaning in verbs to support students in selecting precise word choice (walks, wanders, marches).
Evaluation for 8.B.3b
The materials include guidance for educators to provide systematic, explicit (direct) instruction in writing, starting at the sentence level and building to compositions, aligned with the grade-level TEKS. The scope and sequence indicates that students start with simple sentences and then move on to compound and complex sentences throughout the year. Students gain confidence and control over their writing when they develop skills in a logical, scaffolded progression.
The materials include systematic and explicit instruction in writing aligned with the grade-level TEKS. Educators teach writing every other day, and they teach grammar on the days in between. Every fifth lesson, the educator models the entire writing process, ensuring that students write multiple sentences at a time. Educators receive guidance in teaching narrative, informational, correspondence, research, and opinion writing.
Evaluation for 8.B.3c
The scope and sequence systematically presents sentence-level writing throughout the year, with the complexity increasing across the units. For example, in unit 2, lessons 26 and 28, students construct simple sentences in grammar lessons. Later in the year in unit 6, lessons 86 and 88 introduce students to constructing compound sentences.
The materials do not include explicit opportunities for students to engage in sentence-level revising and editing. Composition lessons primarily address revising and editing, as students revise and edit larger pieces of writing rather than individual sentences. The following writing lessons do not revisit simple sentences or allow students to write and edit their own. In the Assess, Write, Apply lessons, which occur only every fifth day, the educator sidebar says, “As learners write, monitor for opportunities to...” and lists the skill of the week. The materials do not explicitly tell or remind students to practice that skill. As a result, the materials do not provide systematic and explicit opportunities for sentence-level revising and editing.
Evaluation for 8.B.4a
The materials include opportunities for students to write sentences and extended compositions throughout the year. Students participate in writing lessons every other day and are expected to apply previously taught grammar skills while drafting. Educator guidance occasionally directs educators to monitor whether students are using the current grammar focus correctly in their writing. However, the materials do not provide explicit opportunities for students to practice and apply capitalization and punctuation conventions within connected writing. Students are not routinely reminded to apply these conventions during writing, and educator guidance focuses primarily on grammar skills rather than the broader conventions of academic language. Therefore, opportunities for practice and application in context are limited and do not fully address the grade-level TEKS expectations.
The materials provide opportunities for students to practice skills they learn, such as writing simple and compound sentences, using subject–verb agreement, and incorporating adjectives. However, the materials do not emphasize proper writing conventions such as capitalization and punctuation. Although correct conventions are modeled in out-of-context practice, the materials do not provide explicit instruction or discussion of these conventions. For example, in unit 7, lesson 101, students learn about complex sentences. The materials present slides with complex sentences written using proper conventions, but they do not include any discussion of capitalization or punctuation.
Evaluation for 8.B.4b
The materials include opportunities for students to practice grammar, punctuation, and usage skills out of context through recurring grammar lessons that occur every other lesson. For example, in unit 2, lesson 18, students learn about irregular plurals by examining modeled examples, engaging in guided practice, and completing sentence-level application activities. Students identify irregular plural nouns and write sentences using those forms. However, the materials do not systematically direct students to review, edit, or check their own writing for grammar, punctuation, and usage. While students practice isolated skills during grammar lessons, the materials provide limited opportunities for students to independently apply and monitor grammar, punctuation, and usage out of context.
Opportunities for students to practice grammar and usage are inconsistent and lack a clear sequence, making it difficult for them to build on prior learning. In unit 2, students learn about subject–verb agreement with simple sentences and then receive no instruction on other types of sentences until compound sentences are introduced in unit 6. In unit 7, instruction focuses on expanding and rearranging sentences, which marks the last set of sentence-level lessons. Unit 1 addresses capitalization with common and proper nouns, but the topic does not reappear until unit 9, which covers holidays, locations, and product names. While unit 10 has lessons on capitalizing geographic names, the scope and sequence indicates these lessons should address abbreviations (as noted in the standards alignment). Many lessons cover parts of speech such as irregular plurals, modifiers, and adverbs, but these lessons remain confined to the grammar portion of daily instruction and rarely appear in corresponding writing exercises or weekly writing compositions.
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
For example, in unit 10, lesson 136, students read The Stranger on the Train to learn how to select the strongest evidence to support a claim. The educator asks text-dependent questions that require students to identify details from the text and explain how those details support their responses. Students use evidence from the text to justify their thinking and determine which evidence best supports a claim.
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
For example, in unit 9, lesson 126, students read Market Morning and use textual evidence to share ideas about the text. The educator asks questions that require students to evaluate key ideas and details, including how characters respond to events and how important details contribute to understanding the text. Students support their responses with evidence from the text.
Students also evaluate the author’s craft and text structure through evidence-based comprehension tasks across the instructional year. In unit 7, lesson 93, students read The First Cars Were Terrible and identify the author’s purpose using evidence from the text. Students explain how specific details support the author’s purpose and analyze how the author presents information. These recurring tasks provide students with opportunities to evaluate language, key ideas, details, craft, and structure through evidence-based 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
For example, in unit 7, lesson 93, students discuss the author’s purpose in The First Cars Were Terrible and identify evidence from the text to support their thinking. Students use discussion and evidence-based responses to explain how details from the text support the author’s purpose. Across lessons, students summarize text information and use evidence to justify their interpretations of key ideas.
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
For example, in unit 7, lesson 93, students reread The First Cars Were Terrible and respond to questions requiring prediction, visualization, identification of the author’s purpose, and support of opinions with evidence from the text. Students move beyond recalling information by analyzing why the author included specific details and how those details contribute to the overall meaning of the text. Similarly, in unit 9, lesson 126, students analyze Market Morning by identifying key ideas and selecting textual evidence to support their understanding. These tasks provide students with consistent opportunities to engage with texts at varied levels of cognitive complexity.
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
In unit 1, lesson 2, the educator models how students can describe Imani using textual evidence and illustrations from the text. The educator script helps the students see how the traits connect directly to the text evidence. The educator’s script clearly connects the traits with the text evidence, so students can see how this process works.
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
In unit 7, lesson 93, the educator script provides guidance for teaching students how to identify the author’s main purpose using text evidence. The script engages students in discussion using academic vocabulary such as the author’s purpose and evidence.
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
In unit 6, lesson 85 presents a mentor text for students to compose an informational text. In this lesson, the educator creates an informational writing model for each part of the text.
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
The materials include many opportunities for students to write literary texts throughout the year. The materials include many purposes, such as imagining that they find a new community (unit 1, lesson 5), that they encounter a remarkable animal (unit 3, lesson 35), or that they can disguise themselves as any object (unit 3, lesson 32). Educators provide students with writing purposes and a model for how to start their piece.
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
Writing instruction gives students opportunities to compose informational texts using topic vocabulary; organized details; and content they gather from reading, discussion, and thematic learning experiences. In lesson 5, students write informational reports on topics such as famous historical figures or natural phenomena. After students research a topic, they organize their writing into an introduction, facts, and a conclusion, using transitional words such as first, next, and finally to structure their ideas. This task helps them practice crafting informational texts for specific audiences with clear explanations and facts.
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)
Not applicable.
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)
Not applicable.
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)
0 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)
0 out of 1 points
The materials do not include opportunities throughout the year for students to compose correspondence with genre-specific characteristics and craft. According to the scope and sequence, only lesson 150 focuses on friendly-letter writing. This lesson is at the very end of the year. Lessons 106 and 108 cover adding commas in letter greetings and closures, but students do not actually write any correspondence.
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
The materials support students’ use of the writing process to compose narrative texts, which includes planning, drafting, revising, conferring, editing, and sharing/publishing. Students work through the writing process for narrative texts once every 15 days. During this lesson, the educator models their own piece of writing as they plan and then complete it. For narrative texts, the material uses the SPARK strategy to ensure that all parts of their writing are completed. After students write their piece, the educator helps guide them in editing and revising by asking them questions such as “Does your problem help your story keep going? Does your story have a beginning, a middle, and an end? Does your story end in a way that feels done?” The educator confers with students if necessary and checks that the grammar skills learned in that unit are used correctly. Finally, students share their writing. The materials provide a variety of ways for students to share their writing, such as with a partner, in the author’s chair, or through digital recording.
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)
3 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)
3 out of 6 points
The materials do not provide guidance on modeling, revising, editing, or conferencing. Some grammar lessons involve revising and editing, such as lesson 86, in which students learn about compound sentences and joining words (they do not learn the word conjunctions). However, the educator applies these lessons to the texts students have been reading, and students do not receive explicit instruction on how to do this in their own writing. When students practice joining two sentences, they use sentences the educator provides, not their own compositions. Additionally, the materials do not provide opportunities for conferencing or using dedicated time to work with one writer. The materials provide options for the educator to use when sharing, but there is no modeling of how to use them.
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
The materials include guidance for educators to provide explicit instruction in sentence-level writing, with a focus on vocabulary. For example, in the grammar lesson in unit 3, lesson 31, the guidance and educator script focus on vocabulary, teaching shades of meaning in verbs to support students in selecting precise word choice (walks, wanders, marches).
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
The materials include systematic and explicit instruction in writing aligned with the grade-level TEKS. Educators teach writing every other day, and they teach grammar on the days in between. Every fifth lesson, the educator models the entire writing process, ensuring that students write multiple sentences at a time. Educators receive guidance in teaching narrative, informational, correspondence, research, and opinion writing.
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)
4 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)
4 out of 6 points
The materials do not include explicit opportunities for students to engage in sentence-level revising and editing. Composition lessons primarily address revising and editing, as students revise and edit larger pieces of writing rather than individual sentences. The following writing lessons do not revisit simple sentences or allow students to write and edit their own. In the Assess, Write, Apply lessons, which occur only every fifth day, the educator sidebar says, “As learners write, monitor for opportunities to...” and lists the skill of the week. The materials do not explicitly tell or remind students to practice that skill. As a result, the materials do not provide systematic and explicit opportunities for sentence-level revising and editing.
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)
0 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)
0 out of 4 points
The materials provide opportunities for students to practice skills they learn, such as writing simple and compound sentences, using subject–verb agreement, and incorporating adjectives. However, the materials do not emphasize proper writing conventions such as capitalization and punctuation. Although correct conventions are modeled in out-of-context practice, the materials do not provide explicit instruction or discussion of these conventions. For example, in unit 7, lesson 101, students learn about complex sentences. The materials present slides with complex sentences written using proper conventions, but they do not include any discussion of capitalization or punctuation.
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)
3 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)
3 out of 6 points
Opportunities for students to practice grammar and usage are inconsistent and lack a clear sequence, making it difficult for them to build on prior learning. In unit 2, students learn about subject–verb agreement with simple sentences and then receive no instruction on other types of sentences until compound sentences are introduced in unit 6. In unit 7, instruction focuses on expanding and rearranging sentences, which marks the last set of sentence-level lessons. Unit 1 addresses capitalization with common and proper nouns, but the topic does not reappear until unit 9, which covers holidays, locations, and product names. While unit 10 has lessons on capitalizing geographic names, the scope and sequence indicates these lessons should address abbreviations (as noted in the standards alignment). Many lessons cover parts of speech such as irregular plurals, modifiers, and adverbs, but these lessons remain confined to the grammar portion of daily instruction and rarely appear in corresponding writing exercises or weekly writing compositions.