Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for First Grade: Classroom Kit, TEKS-aligned

Evaluation for 1.1a
Materials include a scope and sequence outlining the TEKS, ELPS, and concepts taught in the course.

The scope and sequence act as a roadmap that helps teachers strategically facilitate structured lessons, starting with basic skills and building in complexity. The scope and sequence for grade 1 include the Texas Essential knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) taught in the course. Each week from one through four, the focal point will be on a specific phonological and phonemic awareness skill such as rhyme recognition, isolating initial and final sounds, blending syllables, and segmenting words into syllables. Week 5 introduces fluency, focusing on rate. Phonics concepts should have a consistent space within the instructional day where a review of consonants, vowels, high-frequency words, and decodable texts that align with the concept taught occurs. In grade 1, the scope and sequence outline the order in which concepts are taught. For example, Unit 3 covers weeks 11–16; concepts are taught in the following order: blend phonemes; segment words into phonemes; and add, delete, and substitute initial phonemes.

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)

The scope and sequence guidance for grade 1 provides three different pacing calendars to accommodate 165, 170, or 210 instructional days. The three calendars offer flexibility in scheduling, enabling the tailoring of various schedules to meet campus needs and the diverse learning requirements of the learning community. In grade 1,"The Scope and Sequence Guidance" found in the Bridge to Reading, grade 1 has a pacing guide with suggestions for instructional calendars with 165, 170, and 210 days. Each calendar gives a breakdown of how to adjust the units to fit into the pacing. For example, the 165-day calendar has one less week and suggests teachers use data for review skills taught in wWeek 33. At the same time, the 210-day calendar includes eight additional weeks, which include a fluency review.

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.

The"Instructional Approach" provides explanations about the logic behind unit progression and the conceptual connections across units. For example, the materials explain that in the beginning, "teachers may begin with foundational skills such as phoneme isolation, blending, and segmenting. Once students have mastered the foundational skills, the instructional approach shifts from early skills and progresses to more complex tasks." The"On-Demand Professional Development" in Chapter 1: "What Foundational Skills Are and Why We Teach Them" explains the logic behind unit progression and the conceptual connections across units. Specifically, the 11-minute video shares quick teaching tips about the concepts of print, phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, phonics, word recognition, and fluency. This professional development, along with several others, may be accessed at any time from the teacher's computer. The materials clearly outline how phonological awareness and phonics concepts build across the weeks, as shown in"Unit 2 Weekly Breakdown" and"Unit 2 Learning Outcomes" in the "Digital Curriculum" for Bridge to Reading: Texas, grade 1. Each week builds on new skills while reinforcing previously taught ones such as progressing from recognizing rhymes and initial sounds in Week 5 to medial sounds, digraphs, and decoding words in Week 10. The role of reinforcing previously taught skills in reassuring educators about the student's progress is significant, as it demonstrates the effectiveness of the curriculum in building on prior knowledge and supporting a coherent learning progression.

Evaluation for 1.1d
Materials include protocols with corresponding guidance for unit and lesson internalization.

The materials include guidance to support lesson internalization by providing a script, opportunities for student engagement, and student talk. In Bridge to Reading: Texas, grade 1, Unit 2, Week 10, Day 1 of phonics, the"Collaborative Oracy" involves the teacher preparing an anchor chart with verbs. It also encourages student partners to work together collaboratively, sharing their opinions using the sound poster to focus on sounds that are glued together. The materials also feature the convenience of "On-Demand Professional Development," which offers unit and lesson internalization protocols for teachers. These protocols, available for viewing at any time, serve as models for educators, empowering them to learn and implement best practices at their own pace. The grade 1 overview encompasses a variety of highly beneficial materials. The unit materials, in particular, are not only transparent and informative but also thorough, equipping educators with a deep understanding of the course. These materials provide a comprehensive preview of each unit, helping teachers grasp key standards, unit objectives, vocabulary, and assessments. Furthermore, the materials offer a sequential breakdown of the four units, complete with sections on "Learning Outcomes," "Summary," "Assessment Opportunities," and "Academic Vocabulary."

Evaluation for 1.1e
Materials include resources and guidance for instructional leaders to support teachers with implementing the materials as designed.

The materials offer resources to help instructional leaders support teachers in implementing the program as intended. Within the Bridge to Reading: Texas, grade 1 Video Learning Library, under the "Phonemic Awareness PD and Implementation Support" tabs, videos like "Administrators & Coaches: 5 Look Fors in PA Instruction" and "First Grade RTR PA Webinar," are provided. These resources provide leaders with clear look-fors and practical strategies to ensure consistent Phonemic Awareness instruction. In Bridge to Reading Materials, grade 1, the"Fidelity Checklist" provides a resource for instructional leaders to support teachers with implementing the materials as designed. The resource can be used by an administrator or teacher leader when observing a Bridge to Reading lesson in the classroom.

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.

The material guides teachers to the academic vocabulary needed for each unit in the Bridge to Reading: Texas, Grade 1, Unit 2 Overview under the"Digital Curriculum" tab. The"Unit 2 Academic Vocabulary" section includes articulation, consonants, fluency, inflectional endings, spelling patterns for adding suffixes and inflectional endings, syllables, suffixes, and vowels. These terms assist teachers in consistently and accurately introducing essential concepts throughout the unit. In grade 1, the Unit 2 Overview is under the"Digital Curriculum" tab. The unit provides background content knowledge by outlining instructional goals for phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, and specific skill progressions. For example, the instructional goals that are referred to as learning outcomes consist of consonants and short vowels in closed-syllable CVC words. As the learning progresses, additional learning outcomes also include initial and final consonant digraphs, trigraphs, and double letters with short vowels. The progression of learning helps teachers understand the comprehensive overview and command the academic background knowledge that it supports. Foundational knowledge is vital for students to actively engage and understand the skills that are being addressed.

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.

The grade 1"Digital Curriculum" materials under "Supporting Diverse Learners" include guidance for families on supporting their student's learning progress. The section for "Multilingual Learners" offers guidance and suggestions for strategies to support multilingual learners. These adaptable strategies empower teachers to tailor them to their students' needs, and families to customize the learning experience for their children. The guide suggests using tools like "Spell Tabs," Elkonin boxes, and hand motions to model segmenting sounds and directions for how families can help children spell or write words and sentences at home. Another example is before a lesson using the "Spell Tabs" folder, the teacher builds the rhyme with "Spell Tabs," and the child adds the first letter during the lesson (e.g., at: the child adds c to make the word cat). In grade 1 School-to-Home Connections, each of the six units on the downloadable resources page provide strategies and activities for families in English and Spanish to use at home to support students’ learning and development. Parents can access activities that reinforce in-class learning and strategies to reinforce new learning. The material provides a detailed and narrated phonics script for parents. For example, Unit 2 provides parents with support for how to work with their child at home. For example, "See if your child can tell you the new word when a sound is added to the beginning. Say "end" → add b to the beginning and the word is? → bend."

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).

The materials for grade 1, Unit 5, Week 25, Day 1 in Bridge to Reading: Texas meet content standards aligned to the TEKS and language standards aligned to the ELPS. The TEKS listed include 1.2A.i–v, 1.2B.i–iii, 1.2C.i–ii, and 1.2D.i–ii, covering phonics, decoding, and fluency. The ELPS include 1.A, 1.B, and 3.B, which support language development through listening, speaking, and reading activities. These standards are clearly identified at the top of the digital lesson and are integrated into the instructional focus for the day. The scope and sequence found in the"Digital Curriculum" tab include specific ELPS aligned to weekly instruction. In Book 1, Unit 1, Week 1, ELPS 1.A, 1.B, 1.C, 1.E, and 2.E are addressed, supporting emergent bilingual learners in building listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills alongside phonics instruction.

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.

The materials from Bridge to Reading: Texas, grade 1, Unit 1, Week 4, Day 1 include a list of teacher materials in the lesson overview necessary to deliver the lesson. The overview lists"The Alphabet Song," "Alphabet Bridge," "Alphabet Train Sound Poster," "Letter Formation Posters," and "Sound Wall" cards. These materials are used across the lesson. For example, the"Alphabet Song" and"Alphabet Bridge" are used in"Jump In" to engage students in letter recognition, and the"Alphabet Train Sound Poster" and"Letter Formation Posters" are used in"I Do" to model sound-letter correspondence and handwriting. The materials for grade 1, Unit 3, Week 15, Day 3 in Bridge to Reading: Texas list materials needed for teachers and students to interact with the lesson effectively. The materials list is found on slide 1 of the"Phonics" tab. The materials for Day 3 are: Final consonant blends, Sound poster, Sound Wall Cards: /m/, /p/, Word Construction Cards: a, u, b, d, j, m, p, r, "Spell Tabs": a, u, c, d, l, m, p, s, t, Student Red Word Cards: want, from, pretty, good, READ Book, and Index cards (ML Connection). Some materials are digital and can be accessed through a link in the"Digital Curriculum." Having these materials readily available for the teacher and student creates a culture of time-on-task tone for learning that will enable teachers to facilitate and deliver seamless instruction that flows from one lesson component to the next. The grade 1 materials include an instructional time guide as well as guidance on managing instructional time for the skills lessons.

Evaluation for 1.3c
Materials include guidance on the effective use of lesson materials for extended practice (e.g., homework, extension, enrichment).

The grade 1 materials include differentiated instruction guidance to "Boost" understanding for struggling learners or "Expand" on student learning for those who are ready to go beyond grade-level understanding of the topic. The materials in Bridge to Reading: Texas, grade 1, Unit 1, Week 1, include guidance on the effective use of lesson materials for extended practice through the"Bridge to Learning at Home" section at the bottom of the page. It directs the parent or guardian to say a letter sound, have the child respond with the letter name, and then write it on a provided strip, reinforcing the week’s letter-sound correspondence instruction. In the"Foundational Skills" under the"Digital Curriculum" tab in the"Downloadable Resources/School-to-Home Connection," there is a parent letter that can be sent home each week to use for homework. This letter is a valuable tool that provides support for your child's learning. For Unit 2, Week 3 in the"Bridge to Learning at Home" sections, parents can use the sentences to practice producing and isolating the sounds /m/, /s/, and /ă/. The material includes an explanation, an area to practice, and visuals, all of which are designed to support the child's learning progress.

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.

In grade 1, the materials include diagnostic instructional assessments, referred to as the "Phonics Assessment," which are administered three times per school year, at the Beginning of Year(BOY), Middle of Year (MOY), and End of Year (EOY). These assessments can be located and surveyed in detail in the "Bridge to Reading: Assessments, Phonics Assessment," grade 1. For example, a phonics pre-assessment can be found in this section. The pre-assessment is called the "First Grade Phonics Beginning of Year Benchmark," and its rationale is to identify any misconceptions prior to teaching. This benchmark has varying formats, requiring students to write the words mentioned in sentences provided by the teacher and then blend the letters together to form the words. In grade 1, the materials provide formative weekly checks for understanding that assess a combination of skills from a group of lessons. Progress monitoring tools in the READ Book, noted as "Weekly Checks" on the 5th day, track this progress. These checks for understanding evaluate a combination of skills from the weekly lessons. A specific piece of evidence of this is in the READ Book in Unit 1: Week 4. Students are asked to write words that are read aloud by the teacher and write sentences dictated by the teacher in a one-to-one setting. The Bridge to Reading: Texas, grade 1, Unit 6 Assessment ("Assessment Overview," "Whole Group," and "Individual Word Reading" sections) includes diagnostic and summative assessments at the unit level that vary in both tasks and question types. Diagnostic elements are found in the "Phonemic Awareness Form A" and the "Phonics Benchmark," which are used to assess sound identification, decoding, and phonics skills early in the unit. These assessments are administered in both whole-group and individual formats. The "Word Reading Assessment" also serves as a diagnostic tool, as students read a set of words aloud while teachers document accuracy and fluency. Summative components are included in the "Weekly Check" and "Unit Assessment," featuring tasks such as multiple-choice decoding, spelling patterns and Red Words, and sentence dictation. These assessments vary in format, incorporating oral reading, circling responses, writing dictated words, and constructing sentences. Question types range from multiple choice to open response, enabling educators to evaluate a variety of foundational reading and writing skills. Grade 1 materials in Unit 6 Assessments offer"Assessment Overview," "Class Observation," and "Scoring" sections. To assess a combination of skills, Unit 6 also offers formative and summative assessments at the lesson level, differing in both tasks and question formats. Students are asked to complete tasks that range from reading words aloud to writing dictated sentences and spelling Red Words with assistance. These assessments also vary in response types, encompassing oral responses, written work, and teacher-documented observations. Teachers utilize the "Class Observation Sheet" and "Word Analysis Table" to monitor students’ progress during daily activities. Some of the tools previously mentioned will assist with progress monitoring and even measure mastery for a variety of skills such as decoding aloud, spelling, and writing sentences. These tools are specifically employed throughout lessons to record how students apply phonics skills in real time. In addition, the observation tools also aid in summative decisions by grouping students into proficiency levels based on their overall performance during the lesson cycle. Based on data analysis, educators can make informed instructional decisions that yield high impact.

Evaluation for 2.1b
Materials include the definition and intended purpose for the types of instructional assessments included.

In Bridge to Reading: Texas, grade 1 educators may consult the"Assessment Flow Chart" to understand the intended purpose of each instructional assessment. The chart categorizes "Weekly Checks" as formative tools used to assess Red Words and sound-spelling correspondences imparted throughout the week. These checks start in Week 1 and serve to facilitate both small-group and whole-group instruction. Additionally, educators employ "Unit Assessments" as summative tools administered at the conclusion of each unit to evaluate students’ understanding of phonics and Red Word application. These assessments provide valuable insights into student progress concerning specific learning objectives and assist in determining subsequent instructional strategies. In the materials, educators can reference the table under the "Digital Curriculum" tab to find a clear definition and example of diagnostic assessments. The table identifies the "Phonemic Awareness Benchmark" as a diagnostic tool designed to assess a child’s ability to isolate, blend, segment, and manipulate sounds in spoken words. It is administered individually and occurs three times per year. Teachers can also view the "K–2 Flow Chart," which further outlines this benchmark and includes an additional "Phonemic Awareness Assessment" recommended when students show difficulty isolating sounds, reversing sounds, or blending words correctly. This resource outlines the purpose, frequency, and format of each type of assessment, guiding how teachers should utilize each tool. In grade 1, the materials include examples of how to provide additional time to students who struggle with distinguishing between cognate pairs. For instance, on Week 5, Day 4, Slide 4: Corrective Feedback recommends that if a student struggles with differentiating between cognates, the teacher should "[p]rompt children to place their hand on their throat to feel the vibration of a phoneme like /v/ (voiced) and to notice no vibration for a phoneme like /f/ (unvoiced)." This suggestion is intended for the teacher to use during their formative informal observations in the day's whole group lesson. In addition, materials include a comprehensive definition of summative assessments along with their objective of evaluating students' learning, skill acquisition, and achievement. For instance, in the documentation titled "Assessments," the document titled "Red Words Assessments" and the "Red Words Assessment Guidance" provides instructors with benchmarks for how many sight words students should know by grade level. The "Red Words Assessment Guidance" provides educators with essential contributions that have substantially influenced the identification of Red Words, which are high-frequency words evaluated during the BOY, MOY, and EOY) assessments.

Evaluation for 2.1c
Materials include teacher guidance to ensure consistent and accurate administration of instructional assessments.

In grade 1, the instructional assessment materials are guided by a document that details the time required for each task. For example, Assessments, Phonemic Awareness, Assessing Phonemic Awareness Guide students begin assessments in Week 1 of grade 1. They are assessed "on the concepts taught during that week and review previously taught concepts, with a specific focus on encoding." In grade 1, instructional assessments are supported by a guiding document that provides an overview of the assessment and includes information to assist teachers in understanding the assessments, ensuring consistency and standardized administration across examiners. An example of this can be found in the grade 1 Assessments, Phonemic Awareness, Assessing Phonemic Awareness Guide in which educators receive specific information on how students are assessed by spelling six words, "applying their knowledge of the taught phonics concept. The teacher dictates two sentences, the children repeat the sentences, and write the sentences." In Bridge to Reading, the grade 1 benchmark assessment includes guidance that facilitates the consistent administration of instructional assessments. The "First Grade Phonics Benchmark" packet equips educators with explicit, step-by-step instructions for administering the assessment either in a single session or over the course of two days. Educators are provided with scripted language, modeled prompts, and pacing recommendations for both the whole-class encoding and individual decoding segments. The assessment is structured to be administered three times annually using a consistent format. These materials guarantee that all students receive identical testing directions and conditions, thereby promoting consistency in delivery across diverse settings. In grade 1, teacher guidance materials support the accurate administration of instructional assessments. The decoding and encoding assessments include exemplary models, task pages designed for students, an "Assessment Analysis" that is crucial, and a "Guidance Sheet" that outline errors and intervention strategies. Clear scoring guidelines and proficiency levels are provided in the "Student Scoring Guide" to assist teachers in making decisions based on an accurate interpretation of student performance. These resources help ensure that the assessments measure their intended goals while minimizing inconsistencies in scoring or delivery.

Evaluation for 2.1d
Diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments are aligned to the TEKS and objectives of the course, unit, or lesson.

In the Bridge to Reading: Texas, grade 1, diagnostic assessments such as the Unit 5 "Assessment" are aligned with the TEKS and unit objectives, which include tasks like decoding high-frequency words (TEKS 1.2B.vii) and encoding pattern words (TEKS 1.2B.ii, 1.2B.iv). The"TEKS and ELA Alignment" column on the assessment table explicitly identifies the standards that each task supports. For example, decoding pattern words like "sloppy," "bumpy," and "pencil" aligns with 1.2B.ii and 1.2B.iv, and decoding high-frequency words such as "should" and"won’t" aligns with 1.2B.vii. These diagnostic assessments are used to evaluate foundational phonics knowledge and inform future instruction. In the Bridge to Reading: Texas, grade 1, formative assessments such as the "Weekly Checks," are an alignment with the combination of skills, TEKS, and lesson objectives from the current week’s group of lessons. Each week, students engage in tasks like word dictation and sentence dictation, focusing on syllable patterns, long and short vowels, vowel teams, and high-frequency words. The progress monitoring tool in the READ Book that is referred to as a "Weekly Check" is administered on the 5th day of the week. The "Weekly Checks" document includes an alignment column that shows connections to the TEKS 1.2B.i, 1.2B.iv, and 1.2B.v. These formative assessments are administered to the whole group and are used to monitor student progress and guide daily instruction. Another example of a Weekly Check can be found in the READ Book, Unit 1: Week 4. Students are asked to write words that are read aloud by the teacher and to write dictated sentences in a one-on-one environment. In the Bridge to Reading program in Texas for grade 1, summative assessments such as the Unit 5 Assessment, are meticulously aligned with the TEKS and the specific objectives of the unit. This assessment includes decoding and encoding tasks that assess students' mastery of phonics and high-frequency word patterns taught throughout the unit. For example, students are required to encode and decode words such as "bumpy," "pencil," and "should" tied to TEKS 1.2B.i, and 1.2B.iv. In grade 1, the materials include summative unit assessments that align with the TEKS and provide a clear picture of students' progress toward meeting the course's learning objectives. Teachers can identify areas where students excel or struggle, enabling them to adjust their teaching strategies accordingly. An example of this is in grade 1, "Assessments," "Unit Assessments," "Unit 5 Assessment." Teachers are given a table listing the components being assessed, the number of items, the selected words, and the ELA TEKS alignment. In Unit 5, students are asked to encode four pattern words—bloom, toys, pointed, and comb—aligned with TEKS 1.2.C.i and 1.2.C.iii.

Evaluation for 2.1e
Instructional assessments include TEKS-aligned items at varying levels of complexity.

In grade 1, the READ Book accommodates various levels of complexity. For example, in Week 16, on Day 2, students are instructed to "tap, read, and write the word on the page." However, by Day 5, students are expected to read a passage and respond in writing to a prompt. In grade 1, Unit 5 assessment students are initially assessed as a whole-group setting where the teacher utilizes a script. In this assessment, the script calls for the students to first circle a word that the teacher says aloud. That is followed up with an individual assessment where students are asked to decode and blend read words of varying complexity. In the grade 1 materials, assessments cover various complexities to ensure that student understanding is accurately measured. An example of this is in the Assessments, Phonemic Awareness, Administration Guidelines for the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Assessment, grade 1 Form A, where students are first asked to say the initial phoneme at the beginning of the assessment. Later, they are asked to identify the ending phoneme, and subsequently, they are asked to articulate the medial phonemes. These tasks represent varying levels of complexity as they progress through the assessment. In the grade 1 materials, assessments cover various complexities to ensure that student understanding is accurately measured across the different levels of books in the Heggerty Library of decodable books. For example, in the "Think About Your Reading" comprehension questions at the back of the book, specifically in "The Maze Game" (Week 11) from grade 1, Heggerty Library, Heggerty Decodable Books, grade 1, Series 2. The teacher is provided with a series of multiple choice comprehension questions that are targeted and specific to meet a specific TEK. The assessments begin with a question that students should be able to answer easily from memory, the next question requires students to use textual evidence, and the final question calls for students to think more critically about the text. In grade 1 materials, "Unit 2 Benchmark" includes assessment items that align to the TEKS and has two levels of complexity. For example, students are asked to identify a word like shock from a group of three choices. Within the same task they are also required to spell words like scratch and match. These items reflect a range of difficulty and give teachers insight into how students are progressing with foundational phonics and spelling skills. The assessments are aligned to and address the TEKS 1.2A (ii) and 1.2 B (v). The Bridge to Reading: Texas, grade 1, "Unit 2 Benchmark" assessment tasks include those that demonstrate more than two levels of complexity. Students are expected to spell multisyllabic words such as patches, read and spell high-frequency words like where and through, and identify final consonant blends in spoken words. These varied tasks support teachers in understanding how students perform across multiple skill levels, which helps them refine instruction and ensure alignment with grade-level expectations. The assessment addresses TEKS 1.2A. ii, 1.2A.vii, and 1.2B.v.

Evaluation for 2.2a
Instructional assessments and scoring information provide guidance for interpreting student performance.

The grade 1 materials provide teachers with information on how to use assessment data to guide whole-group and small-group instruction. For example, the scoring guidelines for the weekly checks gives "[n]ext Steps and Guidance for instruction" that varies depending on the student's level of mastery of the week's spelling words. The grade 1 materials include differentiated instruction within each daily lesson. The lessons include suggestions to "Boost" or "Expand" student understanding with additional activities that can be practiced within small groups or independent instruction. The "Weekly Check Class Recording Sheets" are included within the grade 1 materials. Each week, students complete a word check. Teachers may use the recording sheet to track assessment data and track the class's progress with skills such as word and sentence dictation. In addition, The "Weekly Check Student Tracking Sheet" also includes materials. It is a resource that allows students to track their own progress and growth on specific skills throughout the year. The materials guidance recommends that both teacher and students use the recording sheets to track performance on spelling word and sentence dictation assessments. In grade 1, the materials equip educators with the tools to monitor student progress and growth, enabling timely interventions and instructional adjustments. For example, the "Assessments, Phonics Benchmark, Middle of Year Phonics Assessment" materials include a "Class Tracking Sheet" for the teacher to track student scores by syllable type and spelling pattern. The teacher can make classwide observations on these skills. In grade 1, the materials equip teachers with student tracking sheets that could be used by students as tools to monitor their own progress and growth and help students review their assessment errors. These allow students to identify what they understand and determine what they need to learn. For example, the "Assessments," "Phonics Benchmark," "Middle of Year Phonics Assessment" includes a "Student Tracking Sheet" for the teacher to track student scores by vowel pattern. This tracking sheet could be used by the student to track their progress with encoding, but it would be recommended to make this sheet more student friendly to be used by students for this reason. In grade 1, the materials include class tracking tools for teachers to monitor student progress and growth. For example, the "Weekly Check: Class Recording" sheet allows teachers to log each student's spelling and sentence dictation performance with a dedicated section to record observations and instructional next steps. This data helps inform reteaching decisions based on patterns observed over time. The grade 1 materials include tracking tools that allow students to reflect on and monitor their own growth. For example, the "Student Tracking Sheet" provides space for students to color in icons representing their spelling accuracy and write the number of correctly spelled words in dictated sentences. This self-monitoring routine supports student ownership and goal-setting.

Evaluation for 2.2b
Materials provide guidance for the use of included tasks and activities to respond to student trends in performance on assessments.

In grade 1 of Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills, the "Scoring Guidelines for Weekly Checks: Using Assessment to Inform Instruction" document and "Scoring Guidelines" provide guidance for interpreting student performance. For example, there are activities listed if there are students who spell fewer than three words correctly. These students receive phonics reteach using "Boost" activities, Sound Wall Cards, and "Spell Tabs" to reinforce decoding and encoding skills. There are also activities listed if a student spells 1–3 words correctly. For example, the teacher can use "Boost" activities during small group instruction or use Sound Wall Cards or letters to review. The materials in the Bridge to Reading: Texas, grade 1, the Unit 5 Assessment download provides guidance for interpreting student performance. The instructional guidance sheet "Decoding" has a table that guides teachers for next steps for children who perform below expectations when decoding words with previously taught concepts. For example, if a student is making omissions or additions, teachers can reinforce with phoneme blending and phoneme-grapheme mapping. In grade 1, the materials include instructional guidance for tasks and activities to target various skills, as determined by assessment data. For example, the teacher follows a chart in the Phonemic Awareness Assessments. It is recommended that the teacher use the Corrective Feedback Guide to work with students based on specific assessment results. For example, if the errors consist of rhyme recognition, the materials specifically guide the teacher with two tasks that would be appropriate to help students with rhyming recognition. The first recommendation for the teacher is to use a visual representation of two colored boxes for onset and rime. The second teacher recommendation is for the teacher to draw attention to the features of the students’ mouth as they say the words. In grade 1, the materials include guidance that supports the teacher in utilizing results from assessments to support the purposeful planning of tasks and activities for the appropriate grade level or course. For example, in the "Digital Curriculum," "Assessments," "Unit Assessments," "Unit 3 Assessment," there is a table included that gives the teacher guidance for students who need additional support with blending sounds smoothly. The educator is provided two options for tasks or activities that could be performed whole group, small group, or with the individual student as needed. Those tasks are "Phoneme Blending:" Blend phonemes with target skills in deficit. → Use multisensory tools (chips, tiles, dot stampers) or finger blending/tapping to represent phonemes. "Continuous Blending:" Engage in drills to support children in connecting phonemes to blend and read words →/s/ → /sl/→ /slō/ →/slōpe/." In the grade 1 materials for small group instruction "Weekly Check" performance guide, the teachers are directed to monitor student responses, and based on the assessment results, reteach missed Red Words or sentence dictation patterns using targeted tools like the READ Book or "We Do" and "You Do" segments.

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.

The Bridge to Reading: Texas, grade 1 materials include class tracking tools for teachers to monitor student progress and growth. The "Weekly Check: Class Recording Sheet" allows teachers to log each student's spelling and sentence dictation performance, with a dedicated section to record observations and instructional next steps. This data helps inform reteaching decisions based on patterns observed over time. In addition, teachers can use "Class Recording Sheets" to track student progress and growth data. Teachers access downloadable charts and editable charts in the "Weekly Check" tab. Teachers record assessment data and track class progress on taught skills and Red Words. Using the gathered data, teachers adjust their small group instruction or reteaching. The "Weekly Checks Class Recording Sheets" are included within the grade 1 materials. For example, each week, starting in week 3, students complete a word check. Teachers may use the recording sheet to track assessment data and track the class's progress with skills such as initial phoneme isolation and Red Words. Another example, in the "Assessments, Phonics Benchmark, Middle of Year Phonics Assessment," the material includes a "Class Tracking Sheet" for the teacher to track student scores by syllable type and spelling pattern. The teacher can make classwide observations on these skills as well. The Bridge to Reading: Texas, grade 1 materials empower students by providing tools to track their progress and growth. A key tool, the "Student Tracking Sheet," allows students to monitor their performance on specific phonics skills throughout the year. After each assessment, students fill out the "Student Recording Sheet," coloring smiley faces or stars based on their accuracy in spelling and sound tasks from the Weekly Checks. For example, in Week 12, a student might correctly read three out of four words and spell three out of six. Starting in Week 3, students complete weekly word checks to identify mastered skills and areas needing improvement. This tracker not only helps students see their progress, but also encourages goal-setting discussions and supports student-teacher conferences. During larger assessments such as the "Middle of Year Phonics Benchmark," students are encouraged to use this tool to track their progress in encoding. Although the current sheet works well, the materials suggest making it more student-friendly to enhance usability. In the Bridge to Reading: Texas, grade 1, the materials include tools for teachers to track student progress and growth. Teachers can use the "Weekly Check Class Recording Sheets" to document each student’s mastery of phoneme isolation, word reading, and dictated spelling tasks weekly. These sheets include columns for entering scores and noting observations and next steps, supporting teachers in identifying trends and adjusting small group instruction. In grade 1, the materials equip teachers with "Student Tracking Sheets" that could be used by students as tools to monitor their own progress and growth and help students review their assessment errors. These allow students to identify what they understand and determine what they need to learn. For example, the "Assessments, Phonics Benchmark, Middle of Year Phonics Assessment" includes a "Student Tracking Sheet" for the teacher to track student scores by vowel pattern. This tracking sheet could be used by the student to track their progress with encoding, but it would be recommended to make this sheet more student friendly to be used by students for this reason. The Bridge to Reading: Texas, grade 1 materials include class tracking tools for teachers to monitor student progress and growth. For example, the "Weekly Check: Class Recording Sheet" allows teachers to log each student's spelling and sentence dictation performance, with a dedicated section to record observations and instructional next steps. This data helps inform reteaching decisions based on patterns observed over time.

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.

The grade 1 Phonemic Awareness Materials includes a "Corrective Feedback Guide" that features teaching opportunities to explicitly review and reinforce concepts for students who have not yet achieved proficiency in grade-level content and skills. The guide lists skills with errors and provides examples of a teacher’s response that can help students develop a better understanding of the task or skill. For example, if a student struggles with final phoneme isolation, the teacher can use Elkonian boxes, say the word, point to the last box, or place a counter in the first box. The grade 1 document titled "Supporting Diverse Learners" guides teachers to support students who have not yet achieved proficiency with grade-level content and skills through instruction and activities. For example, the materials include activities for teachers to use during small groups. For students needing help with Phonemic Awareness, "Teachers may find that children benefit from visual scaffolds during intervention. Elkonin boxes, with chips, tiles, or felt squares. These visual supports represent the sounds, providing a tactile support for children as they touch and say the sounds aloud." In Bridge to Reading: Texas, grade 1, the "Supporting Diverse Learners" document provides scaffolded, paired lessons embedded in daily routines for students below grade level. These include a gradual release model titled "I Do, We Do, You Do" and multisensory strategies like Elkonin boxes, finger-spelling, and skywriting to support Phonemic Awareness. Additional scaffolds include oral response options, sentence frames, and visual aids like Sound Wall Cards.

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)

The grade 1 materials provide embedded supports for developing academic vocabulary through multisensory routines and visual tools. Teachers use Elkonin boxes, "Spell Tabs," "Vowel Valley" posters, and hand motions to model sound-symbol correspondence and reinforce vocabulary. Anchor charts and sentence modeling help pre-teach and revisit key academic terms. The materials support student understanding of unfamiliar references through teacher modeling, rephrasing, and background knowledge. For example, in Week 26, Day 2, the teacher defines and demonstrates "phrasing" during a shared reading, which helps students grasp the concept by explaining that phrasing involves pausing at punctuation and grouping words naturally.

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.

In grade 1, materials include guidance for differentiating instruction for proficient students. Lessons such as Week 1, Day 1, prompt students to expand on core activities by adding new items to the "Alphabet Train Sound" poster and writing original sentences. Digital lessons also offer partner-based sentence-building tasks tailored for students who have mastered phonics concepts. The curriculum includes embedded extension activities to deepen learning for proficient students. For example, in Week 20, Day 3, students write and share original sentences using vowel teams like ey, alternating between dictation and transcription. These tasks encourage creative application of mastered skills and oral language development.

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.

Week 1, Day 1, the teacher is guided to model the activity by first demonstrating how to read and spell a word aloud before students take turns. The teacher is also prompted to explain how new objects relate to the sound in focus before students add to the "Alphabet Train Sound" poster. The materials include prompts to help the teacher model and explain a concept or skill. For example, the "I Do" section provides prompts and guidance for the teacher. In Week 13, Day 1, the teacher is instructed to say: "Today, we are going to learn about consonant blends. Consonant blends have two consonant sounds. We will work with the consonant L blends at the beginning of words. We will practice pronouncing these sounds and build and read words with the L blends bl-, pl-, and cl-." Then, the teacher displays a poster and models reading words aloud to highlight the key points. The grade 1 materials include a learning library with instructional videos for each curriculum lesson. These videos effectively model key concepts for teachers and students. For instance, Week 11, Day 3, a video demonstrates blending sounds using engaging hand motions such as "roller coaster" and "punching up." Additionally, these skill tutorial videos offer step-by-step guidance for teachers such as a finger-blending tutorial that demonstrates how to model the blending process using hand motions and verbal cues to clarify sound-spelling relationships. Materials that include prompts to support teachers in modeling and explaining concepts can be observed in a lesson on consonant blends. For example, in Week 13, Day 4, the teacher models identifying words from the "Consonant Blends Sound" poster and "Sound Story" that start with s- blends such as st-, sk-, and sl-. The teacher might say: "The words stop, startling, and steps all start with the consonant blend st-. What does this blend sound like? (/st/) What letters are these sounds (s, t)?"

Evaluation for 3.2b
Materials include teacher guidance and recommendations for effective lesson delivery and facilitation using a variety of instructional approaches.

The grade 1 materials include teacher guidance for delivering lessons using multiple instructional approaches such as finger-blending and skywriting. For example, in Week 6, Day 1, the teacher is prompted to model the "Finger-Blending Strategy" to help students decode the word this by blending sounds with finger motions. The"Instructional Strategies and Materials" section outlines several approaches—finger-blending, finger-spelling, skywriting, and Word Construction Cards—with lesson-embedded examples. In Week 19, Day 3, students use Word Construction Cards to build long o words, combining multisensory and hands-on strategies to reinforce phonics instruction.

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.

In Bridge to Reading: Texas, grade 1, Week 3, Day 3, students practice independently, in small groups, and collaboratively. They build and read CVC and VC words using Word Construction Cards and then apply their learning with Red Word routines in small groups. During the "Jump Out" whole-group discussion, the teacher reinforced concepts on patterns and vowel sounds. Following explicit and direct instruction, students were able to engage in "You Do" independent practice in the READ Book. The "Digital Curriculum" offers professional development videos to help with implementation. For example, the video library includes details about decodable texts, the fidelity checklist, and detailed videos with live models demonstrating how to use the materials and resources, and implement the daily lesson. The curriculum provides teacher guidance on when and how to use various types of student practice. During the "We Do" segment, scripted questions prompt teachers to help students identify consonants, vowels, and word patterns while building words. In "Differentiated Instruction," the materials provide prompts and strategies for decoding and spelling words with support customized to each student's needs. Structured routines are embedded for whole-group, small-group, and independent learning. The "I Do" section includes direct instruction and modeling of word formation. "Differentiated Instruction" outlines supports for students needing additional guidance in small groups. The "You Do" provides students with independent practice using the READ Book to apply what they learned.

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.

The grade 1 materials include scaffolded vocabulary and sentence practice to support students in progressing to higher language proficiency. For example, in Week 10, Day 3, students repeat modeled sentences using words like skunk and string, then create their own in partner activities. The materials also include sentence starters and structured questions (e.g.,"Can you say moon? What is the first sound in moon?") to help students transition from basic to academic language. The materials provide targeted support for multiple proficiency levels through "Multilingual Learner Connections" and differentiated instruction. In Week 8, advanced students use modeled sentences like "I like apples and bananas" to build oral language with conjunctions. The Getting Started document also outlines how weekly "Multilingual Learner Connection" activities help Emergent Bilingual (EB) students develop vocabulary, background knowledge, and oral language connected to the READ Book passages.

Evaluation for 3.3b
Materials include implementation guidance to support teachers in effectively using the materials in state-approved bilingual/ESL programs.

Grade 1 materials provide implementation support through the Supporting Multilingual Learners Guide and Supporting Diverse Learners Guide, which offer weekly guidance—especially on Day 3—on scaffolding instruction for Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced emergent bilingual learners. These guides include best practices such as modeling, building background knowledge, and using oral responses to accommodate language proficiency levels. The "Video Learning Library" features targeted professional development, including the video Phonemic Awareness: Supporting English Language Learners, which explains key principles of language acquisition and demonstrates how phonics block routines can be adapted to support EB students in bilingual/English as a Second Language (ESL) settings.

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.

The materials in Bridge to Reading: Texas, grade 1 Phonics offer students opportunities to analyze texts and develop written responses. Students are encouraged to use academic language and make connections to the text. For example, on Week 6, Day 5, after students read "Why Rush?," they complete the "Think and Write" section and answer the question: "Seth likes bugs. Do you like them too?" The grade 1 materials support teachers in engaging multilingual learners in oral discourse by encouraging students to share responses in both their native language and English. For example, in Week 18, Day 3, during the "Multilingual Learner Connection," the teacher discusses the meanings of words with r-controlled vowel sounds such as chirped. The students then participate in a discussion about what birds need and why they leave their nests. Afterwards, they create sentences using the stem "Baby birds need___." The materials focus on isolated language instruction without cross-linguistic connections. First-grade students show their understanding of academic vocabulary through written tasks. They spell words like leg, dig, and pet, and then use each one in a sentence. This written activity reinforces their vocabulary knowledge and encourages them to apply their vocabulary in practical situations. The materials lack consistent embedded guidance for making cross-linguistic connections across the curriculum. The few opportunities that reference a student’s native language (e.g., encouraging responses in English and the home language) are isolated and not integrated into a broader cross-linguistic approach. As a result, the materials miss opportunities to fully support cross-linguistic transfer in both oral and written discourse.

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.

This guidance is not applicable because the program is not designed for dual language immersion (DLI) programs.

Evaluation for 4.1a
Materials include systematic and sequenced instruction of phonics (sound-symbol correspondence) skills.

Materials include systematic instruction of phonics through a weekly sequence that begins with a review of consonants and vowels and gradually introduces more complex phonics patterns. For example, in Units 1–2, students progress from closed syllables and CVC words to consonant digraphs and endings like -ing and -ed. In Units 3–4, the phonics sequence includes vowel teams, consonant blends, and r-controlled vowels. Units 5–6 progresses to complex vowels such as oo and ow, diphthongs, compound words, and multisyllabic word work that utilizes syllable division strategies. The systematic progression of phonics instruction is evident when examining the "Unit Overview" for each of the six units. For example, in the Unit 1 Overview, for Weeks 1–4, the progression of skills builds from simple to more complex, systematic, and sequenced instruction of phonics (sound-symbol correspondence) skills, which consist of consonants, vowels, and short-vowel patterns, as well as VC and CVC words. In the Unit 2 Overview, Weeks 5–10, the material identifies consonant digraphs, glued sounds, and high-frequency word recognition. Materials include sequenced instruction of phonics that follows a predictable weekly structure aligned to the TEKS. Each lesson builds on prior phonics skills and integrates them into fluency, decoding, and word reading practice with decodable texts such as "Be Like Me," "Grace Drives a Truck," and "Thank You, Granddad." Instruction progresses from simple phoneme blending to more complex vowel teams and syllable types, ensuring that phonics knowledge is developed gradually and applied throughout the year. The decodables used include systematic and sequenced instruction of phonics (sound-symbol correspondence) skills, which meets the needs of students.

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.

The grade 1 materials include explicit (direct) and intentional ongoing practice opportunities for phonics (sound-symbol correspondence) skills, both in isolation and through decodable texts. The "Bridge to Reading" offers explicit practice opportunities for phonics skills in isolation through teacher modeling and guided instruction. For example, in Week 6, Day 1, during the guided practice or "We Do," the material suggests that students segment and blend words using sound-by-sound scripted guided instruction such as th, and, and ā. Teachers play a crucial role in helping students develop strong decoding and fluency skills. Students must possess decoding and fluency skills to achieve long-term reading success. First-grade material suggests that students practice phonics and fluency by tapping and writing the word off, reading sentences that include the word, and filling in the blanks with the correct word. Teachers use the "Gradual Release of Responsibility" model to help students practice phonics both in isolation and with decodable texts. Phonics instruction is not a one-time lesson but an ongoing, intentional part of literacy learning. Continuous practice supports students in mastering phonics skills and applying them confidently. The grade 1 materials for Week 6, Day 1 suggests that students practice the /th/ sound by reading and writing words in the READ Book and using word cards alongside texts like the words change and until. These structured activities provide repeated practice with phonics patterns in a connected context, which supports explicit and intentional ongoing practice for sound-symbol correspondence skills. The materials suggest that the teacher use the decodable book Hedgehog Tastes a Rainbow, along with the teacher guidance to have students circle suffixes and underline the vowel sounds.

Evaluation for 4.2a
Daily lessons include explicit (direct) phonics instruction with teacher modeling.

In grade 1, daily lessons include detailed scripts and guidance for teachers to deliver explicit phonics instruction. These modeling routines are used consistently across days and units, offering a predictable structure that supports student understanding. Each daily lesson has an "I Do" section that begins with a scripted student-friendly objective. Then the teacher models the learning target prior to guiding the class to do it together in the "We Do" section of the lesson. These modeling routines are used consistently across days and units, offering a predictable structure that supports student understanding. For example, in Week 18, Day 1, "I Do," the scripted learning target is "Today, we will work with the sound /or/. The letters o and r stand for this sound. We will listen for the sound /or/, articulate the sound, and build and read words with the letters -or." The teacher then uses scripted modeling in the "We Do" section. The scripted modeling is, "'I will teach you how to articulate this sound, and then we will practice saying the /or/ sound'. Placement: Keep your mouth open and your lips pursed in the shape of the letter o when you say the sound /ō/. Then the middle of your tongue will push against the roof of your mouth when you say /r/. Manner: The /or/ sound is like you are offering a choice between two things, this /or/ that. You can hold onto the sound, too: /oorrr/. Voice: Your voice is on for the /or/ sound. If you touch your throat as you say the sound, you will feel a little buzzing movement." Explicit phonics lessons provide a clear framework with direction and explicit instructions to follow when delivering lessons, which ensures consistency and coherence in instruction. In Week 10, Day 1, the target skills include explicit and daily teaching on building, decoding, and spelling words with the suffixes -ng and -ing, followed by the "Jump In" section of Week 12, Day 1. The "Jump In" lesson directs the student’s attention to the Sound Wall Cards /a/ and /i/. The teacher’s script prompts a review of the previous week’s long a and long i sound, as well as the CVCe pattern. The students are then encouraged to find objects in the poster with both long vowel sounds. The materials recommend the teacher write down the words that students see and then have volunteers point out the CVCe patterns. Scripted daily lessons include "I Do" teacher modeling, "We Do" guided practice, and "You Do" independent practice. Teacher scripts can be located in the "Digital Curriculum" on the first page of each daily phonics lesson. The Bridge to Reading: Texas, grade 1, Week 7, Day 1 materials include explicit phonics instruction with teacher modeling during the "I Do" section. Teachers introduce the /ch/ sound by displaying the letter card and stating, "We have learned the consonant digraph ch that stands for the /ch/ sound. Trigraph tch also stands for the /ch/ sound." The teacher continues modeling, "the letters t, c, h stand for this sound. We will practice articulating the /ch/ sound and hear, build, and read words with this sound." The teacher will provide direct phonics instruction and terminology. The Bridge to Reading: Texas, grade 1, Week 7, Day 1 also includes continued modeling in the "We Do" section. Teachers display Word Construction Cards and guide students to blend and read words with /ch/ such as match. Teachers prompt students to tap each sound and model how tch appears at the end of short vowel words. The lesson provides direct instructions for how to pronounce /ch/, explicitly guiding teachers through the articulation and construction process. Direct and explicit phonics instruction and teacher modeling ensure concepts and skills are clearly communicated to students, which reduces ambiguity and enhances understanding.

Evaluation for 4.2b
Daily lessons include opportunities for explicit (direct) guided instruction with guidance for immediate and corrective feedback.

In grade 1 materials, during the "We Do" component of the lesson cycle, in Week 18, Day 1, the corrective feedback guidance suggests that teachers use construction cards to build words. The corrective feedback states, "For children who add /uh/ to the end of a sound, prompt them to ‘keep their sounds clipped.’ Model holding your hand under your chin to remind children not to drop their chin and produce the /uh/ sound." Each of the daily lessons within the Grade 1 materials follows the guided instruction of "I Do," "We Do," and "You Do." This method provides for immediate feedback during the "We Do" component of the lesson cycle. The scripting provides potential student responses and corresponding teacher responses. For example, in Week 3, Day 1, students work with a partner to create sentences using the words we, me, and be. In grade 1, the materials include guidance for corrective and immediate feedback through the Corrective Feedback Guide that is included on the first page of the lesson. This portion of the lesson is designed for corrective feedback throughout certain units. For example, Week 24, Day 1 has the "Phonemic Awareness Corrective Feedback." This "Corrective Feedback Guide" includes teacher guidance for activities to help children who struggle with rhyming. One specific activity provided is, "'The teacher says each part and taps the corresponding visual representation'. Example: /b/-/ox/, /f/–/ox/; box and fox rhyme because we hear /ox/ in both words, /w/-/ish/, /w/–/et/; wish and wet are not rhyming words because /ish/ and /et/ are not the same middle and final sounds." Immediate and corrective feedback offers the student clear, specific, and targeted support that helps to increase student understanding of concepts being addressed. In the Bridge to Reading: Texas, grade 1, Week 14, Day 1, the materials provide opportunities for explicit (direct) instruction through modeled reading and pronunciation of consonant blends. In the "I Do" section, the teacher models reading words with the r-blends br-, pr-, and dr- using the "Consonant Blends Sound" poster to support instruction. The teacher says, "We will practice articulating these sounds and build and read words with the consonant r blends br-, pr-, and dr-," while prompting students to pay attention to phrasing and punctuation. The teacher transitioned students through the "Gradual Release of Responsibility" by modeling concepts during the "I Do," engaging students in guided practice, and presenting students with corrective and immediate feedback. In the materials, Week 14, Day 1, the "We Do" section includes specific guidance for immediate feedback and clarification. Teachers prompt students to identify and circle r-blends at the beginning of words and guide articulation with questions such as, "What sounds are at the beginning of a branch? (/b/ and /r/)" and "What letters stand for this sound?" The lesson includes corrective support such as the suggestion to use Sound Wall Cards to help students review articulation of /r/ if necessary. The corrective feedback materials allow teachers to address student misconceptions or errors immediately, which helps students correct errors at a rapid pace.

Evaluation for 4.2c
Daily lessons include a variety of opportunities for students to practice phonics skills through collaborative learning and independent practice.

In grade 1, students participate in collaborative learning activities to enhance their "Collaborative Oracy." For instance, on Week 3, Day 1, the teacher encourages students to "turn and talk" with a partner to create a declarative sentence about a specific item. The teacher reminds students to maintain eye contact and listen actively. Afterward, students work together to formulate an interrogative sentence about the same item. The materials suggest that the teacher circulate the room to provide feedback and assess student comprehension, and adjust her teaching as needed. The first-grade curriculum includes daily lessons that focus on decoding and phonics skills such as r-blends. The material suggests that teachers use scripts and visual aids while students engage in both collaborative and independent practice. Each lesson concludes with a "You Do" activity, where students work independently on activities that are not limited to, but include circling pictures with long vowel sounds like rake and snake. This combination of collaborative and independent practice creates an engaging learning environment that fosters academic growth and essential life skills, which prepares students for future success.

Evaluation for 4.3a
Materials include intentional cumulative phonics review and practice activities throughout the curriculum.

In grade 1, the materials revisit previously taught phonics skills through cumulative review activities. On Week 1, Day 1, students review letter-sound correspondences for Mm, Tt, and Aa using the "Alphabet Train Sound" poster and "Letter Formation" posters. Students name each letter, identify associated sounds, and trace the letters while skywriting. Students also revisit Red Words during differentiated instruction and the Jump Out, where they identify letters, say their sounds, and spell familiar words like at and am. The continuous review of letter-sound correspondences and phonics rules helps students retain the phonics rules, enabling them to apply the skills with greater precision. The materials for reading provide daily opportunities for phonics practice through hands-on activities. For example, in Week 1, Day 1, students use Word Construction Cards and the "Finger-Blending Strategy" to build, blend, and read words such as at and am. The lesson guides children through sound manipulation and word building by changing final consonants and rereading new words. Students apply these skills independently in their READ Book and extend learning through differentiated partner tasks such as sorting objects that begin with /m/ or /t/ and writing sentences using target words. Consistent review and practice helps students retain phonics rules. The more students practice, the more they are able to apply the skill in their reading and writing. In grade 1, the lessons also use consistent routines to introduce and review phonics skills that include different modalities. For example, students learn to use the "Finger-Blending Strategies" to blend phonemes into words. For example, in Week 14, Day 5, the material recommends that the teacher "guide students in blending each sound, /k/ /ā/ /j/, using the 'Finger-Blending Strategy.'" The material suggests the students use the same manipulation routine they have been using throughout the phonics program for phonemic awareness and phonics activities. The materials further suggest the teacher includes a review of the two sounds that the letter c can make, focusing on the specific characteristics of the hard /k/ and soft /s/. Continuous review and repetition ensures that a student does not fall behind. Review opportunities are intentionally embedded to strengthen previously taught phonics skills.

Evaluation for 4.3b
Practice opportunities include only phonics skills that have been explicitly taught.

Grade 1, Week 26, Day 1, materials include explicit instruction and guided practice on the diphthong /oy/ spelled with oi. During the "I Do" and "We Do" sections, the teacher displays the "Diphthongs Sound" poster. The material suggests the teacher introduces vocabulary from the "Sound Story." Vocabulary words recommended for the teacher to introduce include as, voice, spoil, coil, and boil. Next, the teacher guides students in identifying the letters that stand for the /oy/ sound. Students then decode and blend words such as boil, foil, coin, and spoil using the Word Construction Cards and the "Finger-Blending Strategy." The material students apply the explicitly taught diphthong /oy/ in independent practice using their READ Book. Students complete two assigned pages by reading and spelling multisyllabic words that include the /oy/ sound spelled with oi such as voice and coil, and write sentences using those words. The material suggests students apply the targeted skill during guided and independent practice. For example, in the Week 14, Day 1 lesson, the target skill identified for students in the lesson is to identify words with consonant r blends br-, pr-, and dr-. During the direct instruction, the teacher uses the "Consonant Blend Sound" poster and reads the short passage that contains the targeted sounds. The students are then given the opportunity to practice their new skill by identifying the br-, pr-, and dr- words that were used in the story. Each practice task aligns to previously taught phonics skills. The materials do not introduce untaught patterns, which ensures focused and appropriate reinforcement.

Evaluation for 4.3c
Decodable texts incorporate cumulative practice of taught phonics skills.

In grade 1, students practice consonant blends and digraphs through the "Decoding and Encoding Practice Menu." For example, during Week 24, Day 4, the phonics lesson includes independent practice activities that focus on encoding and decoding, along with partner and small group tasks. The lesson features "Word Ladders," where students start with one word and change one sound at a time to form new words, climbing to the top of the ladder. Teachers can find copies of these activities in the Teacher Resource Book, accessible via My Heggerty or the "Digital Curriculum" platform. The grade 1 materials include decodable sentences and stories that reinforce cumulative phonics practice. In Week 26, Day 4, students read the decodable story "The Boy Next Door," which includes multiple review words with the /oi/ sound such as soil, join, and toy, as well as Red Words like any and many. The story and accompanying sentence reading activities provide opportunities for students to apply previously taught phonics patterns in connected text. The teacher utilizes the decodable lesson plan and the scope and sequence that is located in the Heggerty Library to assist students with practicing, which reinforces previously learned phonics skills. The materials suggest that in Unit 5, Week 26, Day 1, students participate in phonics and fluency activities using words such as spoil, soil, oil, and foil to apply previously taught sentences. These words reflect previously taught phonics patterns. The decodable text reinforces new skills while including previously taught patterns, which supports cumulative application.

Evaluation for 4.3d
Lessons include an instructional focus with opportunities for practice in isolation and decodable, connected text.

First-grade phonics materials offer students opportunities to practice in isolation with decodable and connected text. Teachers can find the instructional focus for each decodable text in the "Scope and Sequence." Each decodable text aligns with the phonics concept of the week, reinforcing and practicing the target skill. For example, on week 24, Day 4, the teacher follows the "Scope of Sequence for Phonics" lessons, which ensures students consistently engage in ongoing activities where they are using decodables in isolation. To introduce complex vowels such as ew and oo, the teacher begins with the READ Book, providing explicit and direct instruction. After teaching ew and oo, the materials embed review opportunities to strengthen previously taught phonics skills. Teachers give students opportunities to apply these skills by having them practice with decodable texts. For example, after receiving explicit instruction on articulating the long a sound, students are given the opportunity to create new words with the long a sound using their Word Construction Cards, paired with a decodable reader to reinforce sound-symbol correspondence. Lessons include an instructional focus with opportunities for practice in isolation and decodable connected text. Students engage in isolated phonics practice through decoding and writing activities. Students use the READ Book to complete a "Phonics and Fluency" page where they read, write, and trace the correct diphthong words such as spoil, soil, or oil, that complete each sentence. Students apply phonics skills in decodable text as part of the weekly reading routine. In Unit 5, Week 26, Day 4 of the READ Book, students read the decodable story "The Boy Next Door," which includes previously taught /oi/ words such as toy, soil, and join, along with Red Words like any and many. The story continues on Day 5 with opportunities to reread and respond, reinforcing decoding through decodable text. Additional ways that lessons include an instructional focus with opportunities for practice in isolation and decodable connected text is by providing texts to review skills such as consonant blends and digraphs in the "Decoding and Encoding Practice Menu." For example, in Week 24, Day 4, Phonics lesson for "You Do," the "Encoding and Decoding Activities/Practice" provides the educator practice such as Word Ladders. "Word Ladders: Begin with one word at the bottom of a ladder. Have students change one sound to make a new word. Students continue creating new words by changing one sound until you reach the top of the ladder."

Evaluation for 4.4a
Materials include a variety of assessment tools that are developmentally appropriate.

In grade 1 materials, assessment tools are developmentally appropriate and designed to progress from simpler to more complex tasks. An example of this can be found in the "Assessments, Phonemic Awareness, Administration Guidelines" for the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Assessment, 1st Grade Form A, where students are initially asked to say the initial phoneme at the beginning of the assessment. Later, they are prompted to say the ending phoneme, and eventually, they are asked to identify the medial phonemes. This structure demonstrates varying levels of complexity as they advance through the assessment. In grade 1 materials, assessment tools are developmentally appropriate. They are designed to progress from simpler to more complex tasks through a series of decodable readers that are provided in the Heggerty Library. An example can be found in the "Think About Your Reading" comprehension questions at the back of the book, specifically in "The Maze Game" (Week 11) from Grade 1, Heggerty Library, Heggerty Decodable Books, Grade 1, Series 2. The teacher is provided with a series of comprehension questions that address instructional content introduced during the week and vary in format, including multiple choice, constructed response, and text-evidence-based critical thinking questions. Some questions require students to combine critical thinking, textual evidence, and inference, particularly when responding to concluding questions not explicitly answered in the text. As the material progresses week by week, the decodable texts in the series and the accompanying questions increase in complexity. In grade 1, the "End of Year Benchmark" provides a developmentally appropriate assessment through a whole class encoding task where students spell 26 words that increase in complexity, including VC/CVC, digraphs, blends, glued sounds, vowel teams, long vowels, diphthongs, and more. Teachers use a scripted guide to administer the test and record student performance using a tracking sheet organized by phonics pattern. This format helps identify proficiency across specific decoding skills using the "Student Scoring Guide." The "Assessment Analysis and Guidance" sheet offers an additional developmentally appropriate assessment tool by helping teachers plan instruction based on specific student errors. For example, students who struggle with blends or digraphs are assigned targeted decoding strategies such as Elkonin boxes and sound mapping. Students who show proficiency are guided to apply their knowledge through extension activities like word building and sentence creation.

Evaluation for 4.4b
Materials include progress monitoring tools that systematically and accurately measure students' acquisition of grade-level phonics skills.

The materials in the Bridge to Reading, grade 1, under the "Digital Curriculum and Assessments" tab include a "Phonic Benchmark" dropdown. This section contains a downloadable Phonemic Awareness and Phonics Guide. In the "Assessing Phonics" section, it states that phonics is assessed for first-grade students through a decodable passage starting in Week 1, on Days 4 and 5. These decodable passages offer all children the opportunity to read connected text and apply their new learning. On Day 5, the "Weekly Check" for six words tests their knowledge of the taught phonics concept. In the first grade, instructional materials include progress monitoring tools that specifically target students' acquisition of grade-level phonics skills. For example, in "Assessments," "Weekly Checks," and "Student Tracking Sheets," the progression of skills is outlined as follows: Weeks 1–28 is supported with Spelling Words, the following weeks may include Dictated Sentences, and Weeks 29–34 Spelling Words and Dictated Sentences. In addition to the progress monitoring tools mentioned above, the materials in grade 1 also provide formative mid-unit checks to measure students’ acquisition of grade-level phonics skills accurately. Each week, progress monitoring tools in the READ Book are noted as "Weekly Checks" on the 5th day. These checks are designed to assess phonics skills. A specific piece of evidence of this is in the READ Book in Unit 1: Week 4. Students are asked to write words that are read aloud by the teacher and write sentences that are orally provided by the teacher in a one-on-one environment. In the grade 1 materials, teachers can access "Weekly Checks" that systematically measure students’ acquisition of grade-level phonics skills through clear rubrics and next-step guidance. Located in the "Weekly Check Class Recording" sheet and "Scoring Guidelines for All Weeks," the materials provide differentiated support based on the number of words or sentences spelled correctly. The materials explain that each assessment is administered on Day 5 of instruction and includes word and sentence dictation. If a child spells one to three words, teachers are advised to reteach using Sound Wall Cards, finger spelling, and the Read Book routines. If students spell all words correctly, the guidance recommends using the "Extend" activities. For sentence writing, the materials outline instructional responses based on whether students spell all, some, or few words correctly, assisting teachers in interpreting results and planning targeted instruction. Students are assessed on skills aligned to the weekly phonics focus and Red Words, and the recording sheet allows teachers to track spelling accuracy and sentence performance over time. The structure remains consistent, with specific prompts and a space for teachers to note observations and next steps.

Evaluation for 4.4c
Materials include assessment opportunities across the span of the school year aligned to progress monitoring tools.

In grade 1 of Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills under the "Digital Curriculum" tab under "Assessments," students participate in the "Oral Reading Fluency Assessment" three times per year in grade 1. However, "Weekly Checks" and "Weekly Observation" checklists are conducted each week, and "End of Unit" assessments 4–6 times per year. These assessments occur regularly and support ongoing data collection. In grade 1, the materials include recommendations for administering diagnostic assessments on students at least three times during the school year: at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end. Additionally, the materials integrate assessment opportunities throughout the lessons to evaluate whether students are making adequate progress with the provided instruction. An example is the "Letter Sounds and Names Assessment," which should be administered three times per school year at the beginning of the year (BOY), the middle of the year (MOY), and the end of the year (EOY). This assessment is recommended to be used during Weeks 1–4, Weeks 10–12, and Weeks 20–23. It is specifically linked in Week 4, Day 1, Slide 6, with the Alphabet Knowledge Guidance & Resources for teachers to use before and after administering this assessment. The materials for Grade 1 offer assessments that align with phonics progress monitoring tools and track student learning over time. "Weekly Checks and Observation" checklists are administered weekly, while formal tools such as the "Phonics Benchmark" and "Unit-Based Word Reading" are given 2–6 times a year. These diverse tools enable teachers to monitor mastery of taught phonics patterns and adjust teaching strategies based on results from the "Phonics Benchmark" results.

Evaluation for 4.5a
Materials include data-management tools for tracking individual student progress to make appropriate instructional decisions to accelerate instruction.

The Bridge to Reading: Texas, grade 1 materials include data-management tools that allow teachers to track individual student progress in phonics skills using "Weekly Check" assessments. Teachers collect and score data weekly on spelling and sentence writing accuracy, which then guides instructional next steps. For example, the guidance for the "Spelling Assessments" states that if a child spells 1–2 out of 6 words correctly, teachers can review the letter sounds using ABC cards or "Boost" activities, or encourage children to use the chopping hand motion or "Finger-Spelling Strategy." Another example from the materials is if a child spells 1–3 words correctly out of 6 words, the next step and guidance are to provide small-group instruction using the "Boost" activities to reinforce the taught phonics concept. Materials suggest teachers use Sound Wall Cards or letter cards to review complex letter sounds. Another example where the data-management tools for tracking individual student progress guide the educator in making appropriate instructional decisions to accelerate instruction is when a student spells 4–5 words correctly. In this case, the materials recommend that the teacher reteach, monitor, or use "Boost" or "Expand" activities based on the student’s needs. Digital access to the Sound Wall is available with audio and video for sounds. Guidance also supports flexible grouping by progress level, and small-group suggestions include targeted reteaching, segmenting support, and spelling reinforcement using "Spell Tabs" and decodable books. In grade 1 of Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills, the "Scoring Guidelines" provide guidance for interpreting student performance. Grade 1 materials provide a table that guides teachers on strategies to use to accelerate instruction after giving the spelling assessment. For example, the materials recommend that if a child spells all words in both sentences correctly, teachers should consider using the "Expand" activities during small-group work. The grade 1, Unit 3 "Assessment Download" offers guidance for how teachers can accelerate instruction. The "Instructional Guidance Sheet for Encoding" has a table that guides teachers for next steps for children who perform below expectations when encoding words with previously taught concepts. For example, if a student is struggling with reversals, teachers can practice handwriting and/or multisensory letter formation activities. The "Digital Assessment" within the grade 1 materials allows teachers to track student progress on specific skills such as digraphs and vowel team words. The reports identify the student as "Proficient," "Developing," or "Beginning" for each assessed skill. In grade 1, the materials contain a "Video Learning Library" that includes guidance to the teacher on implementation of the Heggerty program. The video titled, "Phonemic Awareness: Using Assessment Data to Inform and Plan Instruction" guides the teacher on how to analyze data to provide differentiated instruction for student mastery. In grade 1, the materials include assessment tools that yield data teachers can easily analyze and interpret. These reports are found in the "Reports" section of the "Digital Assessment" feature of the curriculum. An example of this is in the "View Reports, Student, Encoding Summary" the educator can choose which student they would like to interpret data for. The data can be interpreted across all assessments the student has taken for the current year, and this data can be interpreted by percent correct or count correct. Then the teacher can use it for planning for differentiation or acceleration for encoding. In grade 1, the materials provide information gathered from the assessment tools and help teachers when planning differentiated instruction. These reports are found in the "Reports" section of the "Digital Assessment" feature of the curriculum. An example of this is in the "View Reports, Student, Decoding Summary" the educator can

Evaluation for 4.5b
Materials include data-management tools for tracking whole-class student progress to analyze patterns and needs of students.

The materials in the Bridge to Reading: Texas grade 1 offer a "Weekly Check: Class Recording Sheets" for teachers in the "Weekly Check" tab. Teachers can record assessment data and track a class’s progress with taught skills and Red Words. Teachers can use the data they have gathered to inform small group instruction or reteaching. In grade 1 of Bridge to Reading, there is a "Digital Assessment" component. Reports are available for Encoding Summary, Decoding Summary, Phonemic Awareness Summary, Encoding First Grade BOY Benchmark, Encoding First Grade MOY Benchmark, Encoding First Grade EOY Benchmark, Decoding BOY Benchmark, Decoding MOY Benchmark, Decoding EOY Benchmark, Phonemic Awareness First Grade Form A, Form B, and Form C. This report provides a graph of the percentage of students that are Proficient (green), Developing (orange), or Beginning (red) for decoding and encoding skills. The report also gives individual student performance information. In grade 1, the materials include an electronic data-management system that produces whole-class charts with student assessment results organized by specific skills and knowledge. These reports are found in the "Reports" section of the "Digital Assessment" feature of the curriculum. An example of this is in the "View Reports, Student, Encoding Summary" the educator can choose which student they would like to interpret data for. The data can be interpreted across all assessments that the student has taken for the current year, and this data can be interpreted by percent correct or count correct. Then the teacher can use it for planning for differentiation or acceleration for encoding. In grade 1, the materials offer an electronic data-management system that produces whole-class charts with student assessment results organized by specific skills and knowledge. These reports are found in the Reports section of the Digital Assessment feature of the curriculum. An example of this is in the "View Reports, Student, Decoding Summary" the educator can choose which student they would like to interpret data for. The data can be interpreted across all assessments that the student has taken for the current year, and this data can be interpreted by percent correct or count correct. The teacher can use it for planning for differentiation or acceleration of decoding. The Bridge to Reading, Grade 1 materials offer data-management tools that help teachers track whole-class student progress and analyze patterns across skills such as spelling, sentence writing, and Red Word recognition. "Weekly Check Class Recording Sheets" provide space for documenting each student’s weekly word and sentence dictation results. These tools are designed to be implemented in a whole-group setting and allow teachers to identify class-wide trends in skill development. By recording results across the entire class, teachers can monitor which skills or standards are most frequently missed and use this information to make instructional adjustments. The Bridge to Reading, grade 1 materials actively support teachers in analyzing class needs through visual tools that highlight patterns in student performance. Teachers encourage students to use "Weekly Check Tracking Sheets," where they record their spelling and sentence-writing scores every week. These visuals enable teachers to quickly pinpoint areas where many students struggle such as low scores in sentence dictation or inconsistencies in spelling. Additionally, the data-management tool for tracking whole-class patterns of blends provides specific feedback on student performance. For instance, the teacher can identify that most students have difficulties encoding blends.

Evaluation for 4.5c
Materials include specific guidance on determining frequency of progress monitoring based on students' strengths and needs.

The Grade 1 materials in the "Digital Curriculum" offer an "Assessment Flowchart" that shows the variety of assessment tools, as well as the time and frequency of Weekly Checks, Unit Assessments, Phonics Benchmarks, Red Word Assessments, Fluency Assessments, Letter Name/Sound Assessments, and Phonemic Awareness Assessments. The "Assessment Flowchart" maps out the Type, Purpose, Administration, Frequency, and Grade levels for Phonemic Awareness Benchmark, Phonemic Awareness Progress Monitoring, Letter Sounds and Names, Phonics Benchmarks, Oral Reading Fluency, End of Unit, Unit-Based Word Reading, Weekly Observation Checklist, and Weekly Checks. For example, in the "Assessments" portion of the "Digital Curriculum," teachers are given a table that shows each of the assessments provided and when the assessment should be given to students. The "Phonemic Awareness Progress Monitoring" assessment shows that it should be given only if the student isolates incorrect sounds, omits sounds, reverses sounds, repeats incorrect sounds and/or words, and does not meet ORF norms. Grade 1 materials include specific guidance on determining frequency of progress monitoring based on students’ strengths and needs. The Assessment Flow Chart, which is a guide for implementing the assessments provided within Bridge to Reading. This download explains that certain assessments such as the "Weekly Checks" and "Unit Assessments," are intended for all students, while other assessments such as the fluency and letter "Name/Sound Assessments," are optional depending upon the students' needs. In grade 1, the materials include specific guidance on determining frequency of progress monitoring based on students’ strengths and needs. The materials allow teachers to monitor progress at a frequency appropriate for their age and for skill development. For example, in the "Assessments" portion of the "Digital Curriculum," teachers are given a table that shows each of the assessments provided and when the assessment should be given to students. The "Phonics Benchmark" assessment shows that it should be given 2–3 times per year. In the Bridge to Reading: Texas, grade 1 materials, teachers receive guidance on determining the frequency of progress monitoring based on student strengths. The K–2 "Assessment Flow Chart" recommends using universal screener data at the beginning of the year to establish a baseline. For students performing at or above grade level, optional diagnostic tools like the "Letter Name/Sound Assessment and Phonemic Awareness Assessment" are not required. This guidance supports reducing progress monitoring frequency for students who consistently demonstrate strong performance. In the Bridge to Reading: Texas, grade 1 materials, teachers receive specific guidance on how often to progress monitor students based on identified needs. The K–2 "Assessment Flow Chart" indicates that "Weekly Checks" begin in Week 1 of instruction and recommends additional diagnostic tools when students isolate, omit, or reverse sounds. Teachers are encouraged to use the "Phonemic Awareness" and "Bridge the Gap" assessments more frequently with students not meeting grade-level expectations. This allows instruction to be adjusted based on student needs.

Evaluation for 4.5d
Materials include guidance on how to accelerate learning based on the progress monitoring data to reach mastery of specific concepts.

In grade 1, the materials offer guidance that supports the teacher in utilizing results from assessments to support the purposeful planning of tasks and activities for the appropriate grade level or course. For example, in the "Digital Curriculum," Unit 3 Assessment, there is a table included that gives the teacher guidance for students who need additional support with blending sounds smoothly. The educator is provided two options for tasks or activities that could be performed whole group, small group, or with the individual student as needed. Those tasks are"Phoneme Blending: Blend phonemes with target skills in deficit. → Use multisensory tools (chips, tiles, dot stampers) or finger blending/tapping to represent phonemes. Continuous Blending: Engage in drills to support children in connecting phonemes to blend and read words →/s/ → /sl/→ /slō/ →/slōpe/." In grade 1, the materials include instructional guidance for tasks and activities to target various skills, as determined by assessment data. For example, the teacher follows a chart in the Phonemic Awareness Assessments Corrective Feedback Guide to work with students based on specific assessment results such as the error of rhyme recognition. The materials specifically guide the teacher with two tasks that would be appropriate to help students with rhyming recognition, using a visual representation that consists of two colored boxes for onset and rime, and drawing attention to the features of students' mouths as they say the words. The grade 1 materials include a "Guidelines for Interpretation of Data" section. Teachers are directed to use "Weekly Check" results to determine whether reteaching is needed for the whole group or small groups. If less than 80% of students are proficient on the "Weekly Check," reteaching is recommended either at the end of the week or the beginning of the next. Teachers are encouraged to use this data to adjust instruction based on student needs, including reteaching phonics concepts or Red Words. The Bridge to Reading: Texas, grade 1 materials provide specific assessment tools such as optional phonics, phonemic awareness, and Red Word assessments that help teachers gather data and determine next steps. These tools support the implementation of skill-based mini-lessons and reteaching activities. Resources like the "Red Word Assessment" and the "Letter, Names, and Sounds Assessment" allow teachers to identify individual student needs and adjust instructional groupings accordingly.

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)

In grade 1 each week, the materials include prompts that promote oracy through phonics-based partner activities. For example, in Week 5, Day 2, the teacher reinforces the consonant digraph sh by asking,"What sound does the consonant digraph sh stand for?," followed by a partner activity to identify if the /sh/ sound is at the beginning or end of words, with immediate feedback provided. The first-grade materials provide explicit guidance for developing oral language skills through structured modeling and collaborative practice. For example, in Week 11, Day 1, the teacher models how to create complete sentences with subject-verb agreement: "The boy plants a rose," and "The kids dig in the dirt." Students then turn and talk with a partner, and the teacher offers feedback and sentence frames as needed. In grade 1, the curriculum materials include "Collaborative Oracy" sections that support structured speaking practice that use sentence stems and modeled responses. For example, in Week 14, Day 4, the teacher models a response to the question, "How is that job helpful to our school?," using a sentence stem: "In our classroom, I want to help pick up trash. This helps our janitor so she does not have to pick up all of our trash by herself," before students respond with a partner.

Evaluation for 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 academic communication by responding to text, using precise language, and applying phonics knowledge. For example, in Week 7, Day 4, the material suggests that the teacher prompts students,"Listen to how I could answer this question: I would bring marshmallows to make s’mores." Students then turn and talk to share their own responses such as, "I would bring a flashlight to see in the dark." In Week 18, Day 1, the teacher models, "The letters -or make the /or/ sound in corn," and students explain,"Corn has /or/ in the middle. C makes /k/, and or makes /or/." First-grade materials encourage structured peer interactions and modeled dialogue to support social communication for various purposes and audiences. For example, in Week 6, Day 1, the teacher says, "Would you rather eat a sandwich or a banana? Share with your partner and explain why." Students respond with statements like, "I would rather eat a sandwich because it fills me up." In Week 19, Day 4, the materials suggest that the teacher prompts students, "Pretend you want to play a game with someone. How would you ask to join?," and students model responses such as, "Can I play with you when you’re done?" The curriculum includes "Collaborative Oracy" tasks that combine academic and social communication through guided practice with sentence stems and modeled language. For example, in Week 19, Day 1, the teacher asks, "I wonder if the fuzzy animal is looking for food," and prompts partners to respond using adjectives. Students then share ideas such as, "I wonder if the tall animal is searching for its family." These tasks support oral language development for different audiences and purposes.

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)

In grade 1, the materials prompt teachers to set a purpose for post-reading discussions that deepen comprehension. For example, in Week 10, Day 1, the curriculum suggests that the teacher say, "Listen carefully for words with the /ing/ sound," to set a listening purpose before reading. In Week 11, Day 1, the teacher prompts students to use "See, Think, Wonder:" "We will create sentences to describe what we see and what we think is happening." Students build understanding by listening actively, making observations, and sharing ideas. The grade 1 curriculum offers authentic opportunities for students to ask questions, discuss information, and share responses after reading. For example, in Week 18, Day 4, after reading Baby Bird’s First Flight, students respond to five discussion questions to reflect on the text. In another example, in Week 22, Day 4, after listening to A Suit for Sue, the curriculum suggests that the teacher ask, "What happens when Sue is waiting for her cue to go on stage? Which costume is just right for Sue?" Similar to Week 22, in Week 13, Day 1, students work in pairs to change present-tense verbs to past tense such as smile → smiled, and discuss their ideas with the teacher, who offers feedback.

Evaluation for 5.C.1a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing letter names and their corresponding sounds. (PR 2.A.1)

This guidance is not applicable to the product.

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)

This guidance is not applicable to the product.

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)

This guidance is not applicable to the product.

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).

This guidance is not applicable to the product.

Evaluation for 5.C.2a
Materials explicitly (directl), and systematically introduce letter-sound relationships in an order that allows for application to basic decoding and encoding. (PR 2.A.1)

The grade 1 material provides structured support that allows the teacher to explicitly teach decoding and encoding skills. For example, in Week 2, Day 1, the curriculum instructs the teacher to guide students in decoding the word dog. The teacher says, "Blend each sound: /d/ /ŏ/ /g/, using the "Finger-Blending Strategy." Repeat blending the three sounds in dog two times." In Week 8, Day 1, the scripted lesson encourages the teacher to focus on segmenting the word their. The teacher states, "This word has two sounds. Watch me tap and say each sound. Tap and say each sound: /th/, /air/. Now, let us say the word together: 'their.'" In grade 1, the materials systematically build phonics skills using an incremental sequence outlined in the "Phonics Progression Chart" found in the "Introduction Overview." This progression helps students master letter-sound relationships while applying their knowledge to decoding, encoding, and automatic word recognition. The curriculum suggests that instructions begin with short vowels in VC and CVC patterns. Teachers then introduce consonant digraphs and doubled f, s, z, and l. Next, students practice reading and spelling with consonant blends, clusters, and glued sounds. As students progress, teachers guide them through long vowel patterns using CVCe words. After that, students learn to distinguish between hard and soft sounds of c and g. Finally, instruction focuses on r-controlled vowels, reinforcing students' ability to decode and encode increasingly complex words.

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)

In grade 1, the materials provide teacher guidance for providing explicit instruction that focuses on addressing common errors. For instance, in Week 22, Day 3, when introducing the long vowel sound /oo/, the teacher explains, "Long u has two different sounds: the sound /ū/ when the letter u says its name, and the sound /oo/ when the letter u does not say its name." The curriculum suggests that the teacher guides students to articulate the /oo/ sound, as in "/oo/, /oo/, /oo/, fruit, juice. The materials provide clear guidance for teachers to address student misconceptions and suggest explanatory feedback based on common decoding errors. For instance, in Week 16, Day 3, the"Corrective Feedback" section instructs the teacher to say, "For children who decode with an inaccurate vowel sound, remember that vowels can stand for many sounds. ‘Flex’ the vowel and try it another way." These embedded supports enable teachers to respond directly to errors. The guidance helps clarify letter-sound confusion by prompting students to notice the articulatory features of sounds such as the /oo/ sound, which is produced with an open mouth and no tongue contact, reinforcing accurate pronunciation and decoding. When students receive immediate and effective feedback, misconceptions are less likely to develop.

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)

In grade 1, the teacher guides students as they practice with decodable connected texts. For instance, in Week 22, Day 4, the curriculum asks students to read the passage titled A Suit for Sue from their READ Book, focusing on the ui and other long vowel u spelling patterns. Before they read, the teacher reminds them, "As you read the passage in your READ Book today, remember to use what you have learned about long u vowel teams and pay attention to how your voice rises and falls." Materials support the development of decoding one-syllable words in isolation through teacher modeling and guided blending. For example, in Week 5, Day 1, the curriculum suggests that the teacher display the Word Construction Cards for f, i, sh. The teacher says, "Let us blend each sound using our "Finger-Blending Strategy": /f/ /ĭ/ /sh/. Now slide your finger and say the word fish." Students repeat the process with words like hush, shin, shop, and shelf using their "Spell Tabs" folders. Students will develop letter-sound correspondence skills more readily when given opportunities to engage in developmentally appropriate activities for decoding and encoding one-syllable and multisyllabic words in isolation and connected text.

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)

The materials follow a systematic sequence, starting with simple skills and larger sound units, progressing to more complex skills and smaller sound units. Instruction begins with foundational phonological awareness activities such as identifying and producing rhyming words, recognizing alliteration, and segmenting syllables. For example, the word super contains two syllables: soo and per. For example, students engage in syllable-level phonological awareness to support their ability to read and spell multisyllabic words. Daily instruction focuses on building and decoding words with basic letter sounds like a, m, n, p, s, and t (Week 1, Day 3). Over time, it transitions to more complex multisyllabic words with two closed syllables (Week 30, Day 3). The Scope and Sequence illustrates this development, moving from syllable blending in Weeks 1–4 to advanced phoneme tasks such as adding, deleting, and substituting in Weeks 25–30. The materials also systematically transition from larger sound units to smaller ones using a tiered approach to support diverse learners. The Instructional Approach explains, "Teachers have eight phonemic awareness skills available for instruction, which include early, basic, and complex tasks. This tiered approach allows for differentiated phonemic awareness instruction to meet the diverse needs of students." For example, in Week 3, students isolate the beginning sounds (e.g., /m/ in mile), and later practice phoneme deletion by removing the initial sounds (e.g., fan becomes an). In Week 22, Day 1, students segment words into individual sounds through the air, and match the sounds to print. In later weeks (25–30), instruction advances to substituting phonemes, reinforcing the development of advanced phonemic awareness skills.

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)

The materials include a feedback box in the sidebar that instructs the teacher on how to address misconceptions when teaching rhyming. The materials address misconceptions with explanatory feedback such as the belief that rhyming is based only on final sounds. In the sidebar note, the material suggests that the teacher restates, "When words rhyme, we hear the same middle and final sounds." Then the teacher proceeds to read the guided script, and it reads as follows: "I will say two words. You will say the words back to me. Show me thumbs up if the words rhyme and thumbs down if they do not. If you show me thumbs up, you will then tell me the middle and final sounds (rhyme)." The materials include guidance for explicit instruction and corrective feedback that helps teachers address common errors in blending and segmenting. For instance, during a blending activity, if a student says "vet" instead of "wax," the teacher models correct segmentation and prompts the student to "tap each sound: /w/ /a/ /x/." The teacher says, "Let us try that together. Say each sound slowly, then blend." The student then says,"/w/ /a/ /x/ wax." By delivering explicit instruction with corrective feedback, teachers effectively address students’ specific errors and misconceptions in phonological awareness, leading to more targeted instruction. This approach helps students refine their phonemic skills and close gaps in their learning.

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)

Materials include a variety of activities and resources that actively support students' development, practice, and reinforcement of phonological awareness skills through multisensory and hands-on learning. Students engage in explicit modeling with "Sound Posters," "Letter Cards," and "Sound Stories," such as identifying the /sh/ sound in shovel while they watch the teacher’s mouth and connect sounds to visuals and narratives, which helps them build foundational muscle memory through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic input. To practice these skills, students participate in repeated, guided oral tasks like sorting picture cards by initial or final sounds (e.g., /sh/). They use physical cues such as finger tapping, to strengthen their auditory discrimination and sound-symbol connections. For reinforcement, the program offers cumulative review activities like phoneme substitution (e.g., changing sneak to sneeze) and practicing the articulation of hard and soft /c/ sounds. Continued use of tools like the "Alphabet Bridge" poster, songs, and oral practice helps students embed muscle memory by revisiting skills in varied and engaging formats.

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)

In grade 1, during Week 3, students identify phonemes and blend /n/ and /ō/ to make the word no. The next day, they segment me into the phonemes m and ē. Later in the week, the students delete /r/ from red to say the sound -ed. In grade 1, during Week 3, the teacher guides students in the activity by saying to students, "Blend /n/ and /ō/ to make the word no." The material suggests that the next lesson focus is segmenting phonemes, and the teacher script is included. In the script, the teacher says, "Segment me into its individual phonemes." Students segmented me into /m/ and /ē/. The curriculum provides time for students to practice manipulating phonemes by deleting /r/ from red (which is the initial phoneme) to say the sound -ed. In grade 1, Week 14, Day 4, the "Phonemic Awareness" lesson follows a systematic sequence by prompting students to identify and segment phonemes in CVC words. The teacher asks students to say the word mud and then guides them to segment the word into its individual sounds. The script states: "What sounds do you hear in mud?" with students expected to respond, "/m/ /ŭ/ /d/." This explicit instruction supports students in both identifying and segmenting individual phonemes. Phonemic awareness instruction will support students in developing progressively more sophisticated skills, ensuring that they master basic phoneme identification and blending before moving on to more complex tasks like phoneme addition, deletion, and substitution.

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)

Grade 1 material provides a "Phonemic Awareness Corrective Feedback" document that offers scripted feedback to be given to students based on potential errors. Final phoneme isolation is the error that warrants corrective feedback. The Corrective Feedback Guide offers suggestions to teachers. The teacher says the word or places a counter in the first box as students isolate the sound. The script goes as follows: The teacher says, "The word is hide; the last sound in the word hide is /d/. Say that with me: ‘hide, /d/.’" The use of Elkonin boxes for visual support is also used during guided practice. Grade 1 materials focus on direct instruction that addresses common misconceptions in phonemic awareness. Specifically, they highlight that students often do not recognize that blends consist of two separate phonemes. Teachers are encouraged to identify the number of sounds in a blend and model how to separate each sound. For instance, during Week 6, the script instructs teachers to say ,"The word clap has four sounds. Watch me segment it: /c/ /l/ /ă/ /p/. Now you try! We hear four sounds in clap, including each consonant in the blend, so let's split the blend into 2 sounds." To reinforce this concept, teachers can use manipulatives like felt squares, colored tiles, or cubes to demonstrate how words can be segmented into individual phonemes. These manipulatives can show the whole word first and then break it down into its sounds during guided practice.

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)

The materials provide explicit direct teacher guidance to help students connect spoken sounds to printed letters for reading. For example, in grade 1, Week 14, Day 4, the teacher guides students to segment and read the word shout. Let us tap each sound in /sh/, /ou/, and /t/. What is the first sound? After identifying all three phonemes, the teacher says: "Yes, /s/h is spelled with the digraph s-h. Let’s write that." In grade 1, the materials provide explicit teacher guidance for connecting phonemic awareness to encoding. For example, the daily "Phoneme-Grapheme Connection" in Week 17, Day 1, guides the teacher to instruct students to practice matching the written letters to the sounds they hear in words: zip, yum, and bed. The teacher says, "Say the word zip. What sound comes first? What letter makes the sound? Let’s spell it together, and we will segment the word into the sounds we hear, then spell the word."

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)

In grade 1, the materials include a variety of activities and instructional supports to help students develop phonemic awareness skills through explicit, teacher-led lessons using auditory, visual, and kinesthetic strategies. For example, in Week 14, Day 4, the teacher guides students in isolating and identifying the medial vowel in CVC words, saying, "Say the word bit. What vowel sound do you hear in the middle? /ĭ/." Students repeat this process with additional words to build a foundational understanding of vowel sounds in spoken language. Similarly, in Week 10, Day 1, the teacher introduces glued sounds such as /ing/ through visual and auditory modeling, underlining the -ing pattern in words like sing, ring, and king, and explaining, "The letters -ing are a glued sound. Remember that a glued sound is one in which letters have their own sounds, but the sounds are hard to separate." These lessons introduce students to new sound patterns and help them connect spoken sounds to letter patterns through direct instruction. In grade 1, the materials include structured, hands-on activities and repeated routines that allow students to practice phonemic awareness skills by applying their understanding of sound patterns in increasingly complex ways. For instance, in Week 5, the teacher models the "Segmenting Hand Motion" while students practice breaking words like vase, jet, and ride into individual phonemes. Students mirror the hand motions from left to right, providing a physical anchor for sound segmentation. The materials also include "Red Word Mapping" tasks, where students read a word, tap out each sound, match sounds to letters, and write the word, offering multisensory practice that links phonemic awareness to early spelling. In Week 14, Day 4, the teacher supports student practice by prompting them to segment and blend CVC words in the "We Do" section: "Let’s say the word bit. /b/ /ĭ/ /t/. The vowel sound is /ĭ/." These activities give students repeated opportunities to apply and solidify their sound manipulation skills. In grade 1, the materials offer engaging and varied activities that reinforce phonemic awareness skills through cumulative review and repeated exposure. For example, in Week 12, Day 1, the teacher reads a "Sound Story" using the "Long Vowel Sound Poster" and prompts students to listen for long vowel sounds during connected reading. Before reading, the teacher says, "As I read the story, listen carefully for words with the long o sound. Pay attention to how my voice rises and falls as I read." This activity helps reinforce phoneme recognition in context while also supporting fluency and expression. In Week 19, Day 1, students revisit advanced phonemic manipulation by practicing final sound substitution in words like sneak to sneeze and grant to grand. These types of cumulative routines, including sound stories, word substitution, and sentence-building games, help students revisit and strengthen their understanding of previously taught phonemic skills through engaging oral practice and application.

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)

Materials include a systematic progression that is aligned to the TEKS. The materials follow a clearly defined, vertically aligned sequence of phonics instruction across the year and grade levels. For example, grade 1 materials progress from "consonant digraphs and double f, s, z, and l" to"consonant blends, clusters, and glued sounds," and then to more complex patterns such as -ge and -dge. The first-grade progression is documented in both unit overviews and the Digital Curriculum’s "Phonics Progression Chart." Grade 1 materials include a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level spelling patterns, as outlined in the TEKS. The "Comprehensive Scope and Sequence" is a year-long instructional guide. The "Scope and Sequence" outline the progression of the phonics instruction from foundational skills to advanced phonics skills. For instance, students begin with a review of consonants and vowels, then advance to "Short Vowels" and "Closed Syllables" (Week 3), "Consonant Digraphs: sh, ch" (Week 5), "R-Controlled Vowels: ar, er" (Week 17), and "Syllable Division" (Weeks 30–32), with weekly decodable texts and aligned TEKS.

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)

Grade 1 materials provide teacher scripts for direct instruction of sound spelling patterns. For example, during Week 12, Day 4, in a lesson on the phonics concept of long u, the materials provide the teacher a script that goes as follows: "Yesterday we learned about the long u vowel sound and the CVCe pattern with long u words. Today we will learn about another long vowel sound: /ē/. The letter e stands for this sound. We will build and read words with this long e sound and the CVCe pattern. We will also practice adding the -ed ending to words and talk about how the words’ meanings change." Later in the lesson, the teacher uses the words hope, joke, and wait to show how adding -ed to the end of a word changes the meaning. The material provides teacher guidance for delivering direct instruction for consonant clusters. For example, in Week 13, Day 1, the material directs the teacher to guide students in a lesson on consonant clusters, specifically the cl spelling pattern. The materials recommend the teacher to display Word Construction Cards c, l, u, b. The materials suggests that the teacher guide students to blend each sound, /k/ /l/ /ŭ/ /b/, using the "Finger-Blending Strategy." When students receive direct instruction on sound-spelling patterns, they can increase their mastery in encoding in-text responses and written compositions, as well as master syllable combinations of single and multisyllabic words.

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)

In Grade 1, the materials include a variety of activities that help students develop grade-level sound-spelling patterns through whole-group phonics instruction. Students participate in lessons where they identify and pronounce specific letter sounds such as /s/ and /z/, spelled as ss and zz. Teachers model correct articulation and use visual aids such as "Sound Poster Cards," to support students’ understanding. To practice these patterns, students engage in weekly reading activities with decodable texts. On Day 4 of each week, they read stories in the READ Book that align with the phonics skills they have learned. For example, in Week 22, the story A Suit for Sue includes only decodable words from previously taught lessons, allowing students to apply their sound-spelling knowledge in context. The materials include a variety of activities and resources that enable students to reinforce their learning through cumulative review. Lessons from the material revisit earlier content regularly to ensure mastery and retention. For example, in Week 13, Day 5, students review initial blends by identifying and listing words that begin with l-blends (bl-, pl-, cl-, etc.) and s-blends (sm-, sn-, sp-, etc.), which students have learned in previous lessons. This structured review strengthens students' ability to recognize and use familiar sound-spelling patterns.

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)

In grade 1, the materials provide guidance for explicit phonics instruction that supports students in decoding sound-spelling patterns in isolation. During whole-group lessons, students identify and pronounce individual letter sounds such as /s/ and /z/, which are spelled as ss and zz. The materials suggest that the teacher model correct articulation and use visual aids such as "Sound Poster Cards," to reinforce sound recognition. Additionally, lessons include word lists and oral practice to help students decode specific spelling patterns in isolation. The materials offer activities that help students decode words featuring the sound-spelling patterns students have learned in decodable connected text, building on their previous instruction. Students regularly engage with decodable connected texts that reflect these sound-spelling patterns taught. On Day 4 of each week, students read stories from the READ Book, which allows them to practice decoding in context. For example, in Week 22, the story A Suit for Sue includes only decodable words that align with prior instruction, enabling students to apply their phonics knowledge in meaningful reading experiences. Grade 1 materials support encoding through activities that require students to spell words containing targeted sound-spelling patterns. In structured lessons, students may be asked to write or spell words from word lists that match specific phonics skills taught that week, which reinforces their ability to produce the correct letter patterns independently. In grade 1, materials include practice that facilitates encoding and cumulative review lessons that help students apply spelling knowledge in context. For instance, in Week 13, Day 5, students review initial blends by generating words that start with l-blends (bl-, pl-, cl-) and s-blends (sm-, sn-, sp-). This approach reinforces spelling accuracy and sound-spelling relationships. Offering a variety of materials enables teachers to tailor core instruction and practice to meet the individual needs of each student.

Evaluation for 5.E.2a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing regular and irregular high-frequency words. (PR 2.A.1)

The materials include a systematic sequence for introducing regular high-frequency words in alignment with phonics instruction. Each week, words are introduced following a structured approach, often linked to specific phonics patterns such as CVCe, digraphs, and vowel teams. For example, in Week 9, students learn the words think and thank alongside ending sounds like -nk, -ink, and -ank. In Weeks 28–32, words such as use, want, and your connect to long vowels and CVCe patterns. These words are woven into decodable texts, which reinforce phonics instruction and enhance reading fluency. The materials also offer a systematic sequence for introducing irregular high-frequency words. In the first six weeks, students review Red Words from kindergarten, including the, was, and and. Then, throughout the year, they progressively encounter new irregular words. For instance, in Week 12, they study words like these, those, use, and does, which are grouped by spelling similarities despite their varying regularity. Early words such as the, a, I, and see, which appear in Weeks 5–6, recur throughout the year, reinforcing memorization and promoting automaticity in connected text.

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)

The materials include a systematic sequence for introducing regular high-frequency words in alignment with phonics instruction. Each week, words are introduced following a structured approach, often linked to specific phonics patterns such as CVCe, digraphs, and vowel teams. For example, in Week 9, students learn the words think and thank alongside ending sounds like -nk, -ink, and -ank. In Weeks 28–32, words such as use, want, and your connect to long vowels and CVCe patterns. These words are woven into decodable texts, which reinforce phonics instruction and enhance reading fluency. The materials also offer a systematic sequence for introducing irregular high-frequency words. In the first six weeks, the materials suggest that students review Red Words from kindergarten, including the, was, and and. Then, throughout the year, students progressively encounter new irregular words. For example, in Week 12, the materials introduce words such as these, those, use, and does, which are grouped by spelling similarities despite their varying regularity. Words that appear in Weeks 5–6such as the, a, I, and see, recur throughout the year, reinforcing memorization and promoting automaticity in connected text.

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)

In grade 1, the instructional materials include skills designed to enhance students’ ability to decode and encode both regular and irregular high-frequency words through a variety of engaging activities. To develop foundational decoding skills, the "Red Words Weekly List" systematically introduces regular high-frequency words such as the, to, and, and was in Week 1. This methodical approach helps students build their decoding abilities over time. Complementing this, activities like "Read It, Build It, Write It" allow students to read, construct with tiles, and write a multisensory experience that reinforces their practice. Reinforcement of these skills is also targeted through cumulative review activities. Game-based options like "Red Word Splat" and "Tic-Tac-Toe" incorporate previously learned words such as, walk, talk, and work, to support ongoing review and the strengthening of decoding skills. In addition to decoding, materials are provided to help students develop their encoding skills for regular high-frequency words. Utilizing mapping routines, students learn to identify sounds and match them to letters, as seen in the word and. Activities found in resources like the READ Book facilitate practice with high-frequency words such as after, first, over, and hurt, aiming to boost their encoding fluency. Reinforcement for encoding is equally acknowledged through cumulative review, ensuring repeated practice across lessons. Activities such as "Read It, Build It, Write It" allow for reintroduction of previously taught words, which aids in students’ ongoing spelling development. For irregular high-frequency words, the materials effectively guide students through the decoding process. Teacher-led Red Word instruction models how to analyze irregular sound-letter correspondences, helping students; for example, understand that said is pronounced /s/ /ĕ/ /d/ and features ai for /ĕ/. The "Red Word Mapping Sheets" encourage students to tap sounds, map letters, and practice guided decoding with words such as could and does. Ongoing reinforcement is ensured through the "Red Word Practice Menu," which includes games like "Go Fish" and "Roll It! Read It!" These activities provide repeated practice with previously introduced irregular words, bolstering decoding skills. For encoding irregular high-frequency words, the "Working with Red Words" routine supports students in identifying sound-spelling patterns and in encoding challenging words such as the and said with instructional guidance. "Red Word Mapping Sheets" play a crucial role here as well by enabling students to write the word after mapping its sounds, which reinforces their understanding of irregular spellings through consistent practice. Ultimately, cumulative review through various games found in the "Red Word Practice Menu" and repeated writing activities ensures continuous engagement and reinforcement of the skills necessary for spelling irregular high-frequency words in diverse formats. This comprehensive approach equips students with the tools they need to master both regular and irregular high-frequency words, fostering their overall literacy development.

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)

Grade 1 materials include activities that help students read high-frequency words in isolation and connected text. Students practice with "Red Word Mapping Sheets," tapping out sounds, and identifying words. For example, the "Red Words Weekly List" introduces words like the, to, do, and, was in Week 1, then progresses to words like put, pull, and full, by Week 21. During Week 13, Day 2, the teacher displays the word two and prompts students by asking, "What is this word? (two) How do you spell two? (t, w, o) Now read the word." Students utilize sheets to tap sounds, map letters, and write the words in isolation. To connect words in context, materials feature decodable texts such as Jack’s Junk, which include high-frequency words like with, they, have, and look. Teachers guide students to decode sentences that contain these words such as two. Grade 1 resources also offer activities for writing high-frequency words in sentences. In "Roll, Read & Create," students roll a die, read a word, and use it in a sentence. The "Partner Read & Spell Game" has students draw word cards, spell them, and incorporate them during gameplay.

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)

In grade 1, the materials begin with VC and CVC words in Unit 1, then progress to digraphs in Unit 2, and r-controlled vowels in Unit 4. By Week 3, they learn about closed syllables and move on to CVCe words in Week 11, followed by vowel teams in Weeks 19–22. The "Scope and Sequence" indicates that students first identify open and closed syllables before learning to divide them. For instance, on Week 30, Day 1, the teacher explains that each syllable has one vowel sound, teaching students to use known word patterns to decode longer words by syllable division. By Week 33, Day 1, they practice dividing open and closed syllables, identifying the vowel sounds in each section. The instructional materials systematically introduce syllable types, beginning with CVC words and closed syllables, and then proceed to consonant digraphs, trigraphs, blends, and r-controlled vowels. In Units 5 and 6 of the Bridge to Reading: Texas program, the sequence advances to closed-syllable division principles and consonant + le syllables, which enhances students’ skills in decoding and encoding multisyllabic words.

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)

In grade 1, the materials provide explicit guidance to teachers on teaching students to apply knowledge of syllable types when decoding and encoding one-syllable words. Early in the year, during Week 2, Day 1, they model decoding CVC words using Word Construction Cards, blending sounds like /i/ and /t/ to form them. Students practice with words such as bit, lit, and cab. Simultaneously, teachers introduce encoding as students write sentences such as, "I bit into the apple." As the year progresses, the materials suggest that the teachers continue closed-syllable decoding. For example, in Week 5, Day 1, they help students blend /ch/ /ŏ/ /p/ to read chop. Later, in Week 7, Day 3, students decode the pack by sounding out /p/ /ă/ /k/ and apply the same method to back, kick, rock, and sock. To reinforce encoding, the materials recommend that teachers engage students in word manipulation with "Spell Tabs." In Week 20, Day 2, the materials recommend the teacher follow the prompts to build the words sleep and follow. The teacher says, "Change l in sleep to h. What word do you have?" (sheep). Students continue this process, recognizing new words like sheet and sleet. These routines enable students to consistently apply their knowledge of syllable types in both reading and spelling one-syllable words. With a solid foundation in skills and direct instruction, teachers effectively provide systematic syllabication instruction and respond to student needs in real time.

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)

In grade 1, the materials provide explicit guidance for teaching students to apply knowledge of syllable types when decoding and encoding multisyllable words. For example, Week 30, Day 1, begins teaching what a syllable is. The teacher says, "Each syllable in a word has only one vowel sound. We will use what we know about word patterns to read longer words by dividing them into syllables." Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to develop skills to decode and encode one-syllable or multisyllabic words. Grade 1 instructional materials provide explicit instruction and engaging resources that help students build foundational skills in decoding and encoding. For example, in Week 30, Day 1, the teacher introduces the concept of syllables by saying, "Each syllable in a word has only one vowel sound. We will use what we know about word patterns to read longer words by dividing them into syllables." This activity helps students develop decoding skills for multisyllabic words through direct application of syllable division. Encoding is supported through multisensory strategies such as "Spell Tabs," which allow students to construct words by mapping phonemes to graphemes. In addition, in Week 24, Day 1, the materials suggests that students are introduced to complex vowel sounds like /ŏo/ spelled oo. The teacher reads aloud, "We have learned about different complex vowels. Today, we’ll learn about a complex vowel that stands for the sound /ŏo/ as in put," followed by guided decoding of words like look, book, and hook using the "Finger-Blending Strategy." Cumulative review activities help reinforce previously learned skills, allowing students to overcome persistent challenges in decoding and encoding.

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)

In grade 1, materials include activities and resources that enable students to practice decoding and encoding with Word Construction Cards and Sound Wall Cards, allowing students to manipulate syllable types both in isolation and within connected text. For example, during Week 19, the curriculum encourages students to create words such as sailboat, toe, know, and float. Later, in Week 24, they apply the "Finger-Blending Strategy" to decode words such as look, book, took, and shock, all while exploring meaningful texts like Bunches of Bugs in Week 7 to reinforce their understanding of syllables. As the year progresses, students further develop their skills by analyzing syllable division on Week 33, Day 1, where students break down words like hap/pen, and la/ter into open and closed syllables, solidifying their grasp of syllable structures. Earlier, in Week 4, Day 4, they practiced reading multisyllabic words such as little, puzzle, and uncle, aiming to enhance their overall fluency. To ensure mastery of these concepts, students engage in cumulative reviews spotlighted in the READ Book, revisiting and building upon previous learning. For example, in Week 22, the focus shifts to vowel teams such as ue and ui, where complete word lists, sentences, and decodable texts that incorporate both current and previously taught skills. This comprehensive approach fosters ongoing proficiency in decoding and encoding throughout the school year, ensuring a solid foundation in literacy.

Evaluation for 5.E.4a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level morphemes, as outlined in the TEKS. (PR 2.A.1)

In grade 1, the curriculum offers a clear scope and sequence for introducing morphemes, as outlined in the TEKS. Instruction begins with common inflectional endings such as -s and -ing, introduced in Week 4, where students learn to identify action words. The curriculum suggests that the teacher demonstrates how adding -s transforms verbs like see, get, and look, indicating a single person performing an action. By Week 7 of Unit 2, students explore plural endings -s and -es, along with the past tense ending -ed, without spelling changes. The teacher illustrates this by writing stack on the board, adding -ed to create stacked, and discussing the meaning shift. In Unit 3, Week 12, the curriculum recommends students revisit the -ed ending, now focusing on spelling changes. Instruction gradually progresses to more complex derivational suffixes such as -less and -ful, introduced in Unit 5, Week 25. The curriculum suggests that the teacher highlights suffixes in context, identifying words such as endless and helpless during a "Sound Story" and explaining their meanings. Each unit includes an overview that emphasizes the proper understanding and use of inflectional endings. The structured progression, from simple to complex morphemes, provides students with ample opportunities to practice and apply their knowledge, thereby supporting cumulative learning and retention throughout the curriculum.

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)

The grade 1 instructional materials support students in understanding morpheme meanings for decoding and encoding. Teachers model and explain morphemes explicitly. For instance, in Week 4, Day 3, a teacher demonstrates that action words like sees, gets, and asks have the suffix -s, indicating an action done by one person, by reading, "Sid sees a bear cub." In Week 7, Day 2, students learn the plural suffix -es for nouns ending in ch and sh, and the past tense marker -ed, using words like bench and hatch. In Week 25, Day 2, the curriculum introduces the suffix -less, meaning without, words such as endless and helpless. As students progress to the practicing stage, they begin to apply their understanding of morphemes through guided activities. For example, in Week 4, students use Word Construction Cards to build words like gets, lets, and looks, applying their knowledge of the -s suffix to form present-tense verbs. In Week 7, Day 4, the teacher guides students through changing a stack to a stacked arrangement, helping them explore how the -ed suffix changes the meaning of the word to indicate the past tense. In Week 25, students continue to practice with the -less suffix by constructing and decoding words such as endless and helpless, reinforcing their understanding through repeated exposure and application. During the reinforcing stage, students apply their knowledge of morphemes in more complex decoding and encoding tasks, particularly in multisyllabic words. For example, in Week 30, Day 1, students engage in decoding words such as napkin and rabbit by identifying vowels and consonants, dividing between consonants, and using strategies such as finger blending to decode each syllable. This instruction emphasizes the structure of closed syllables and the use of morphemes to support word recognition. Additionally, encoding is reinforced through similar activities using Word Construction Cards. Students construct and spell words such as picnic, fabric, and sudden by segmenting the words into syllables and applying their understanding of vowel and consonant patterns. These scaffolded lessons ensure that students move from initial exposure to independent application of morpheme knowledge in decoding and encoding tasks.

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)

In grade 1, the materials include a variety of activities to help students develop grade-level morphological skills. For example, during Week 12, Day 4, students listen to the following sentences: "I jump off the steps," "I jumped off the steps," "I can wave at Dad," "I waved to Dad," "I like to play with blocks," "I played with blocks." The teacher then discusses how adding -ed to the end of the words changes the meaning. In grade 1, the materials include a variety of activities that allow students to practice grade-level morphological skills. For example, during Week 25, Day 4, students read a short decodable text "Our Walks Together" that contains words with the suffixes -ful and -less as well as previously taught suffixes. In grade 1, students practice and develop grade-level morphological skills by using Word Construction Cards and their "Spell Tabs" folder. For example, in Week 7, Day 2, students blend the sounds /p/ /ă/ /ch/ /iz/ to read the word patches. They then tell how the -es ending changes the meaning of the word. Then repeat this process with the word munched. The students use their "Spell Tabs" folders to repeat the activity with words like match(es), hatch(es), and wish(ed). Students practice and develop grade-level morphological skills by using various activities. For example, in Week 25, Day 4, the teacher's "Jump In" activity says, "Write the suffix -less on a sticky note or index card and display it. Remind children that they have learned about this suffix, which is added to the end of a word to change its meaning. Use the 'Finger-Spelling Strategy' to spell the suffix -less. Ask a volunteer to tell what the suffix -less means (without). Then write the following words on the board: help, sleep, hope, end, tooth. Ask volunteers to add the suffix -less card to a word on the board. Choral read the word with children. Ask another volunteer to tell the new word’s meaning. Repeat with the remaining words."

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)

In grade 1, instructional materials provide a variety of activities and resources that help students decode and encode words with morphemes, both in isolation and within connected text. These materials build on prior instruction and support student learning through explicit modeling, guided practice, and application. Students use Word Construction Cards to independently construct and manipulate words with specific morphemes, which enhances their decoding and encoding skills. For example, in Week 7, students build the base word kick, add the suffix -ed to create kicked, and discuss how this suffix modifies the word's meaning. In Week 28, Day 3, students work with the prefixes un- and re- to form words like unzip, reheat, and rewrite, and examine how each prefix changes the meaning of the base word. Similarly, in Week 30, Day 1, they decode and encode words such as napkin and picnic by identifying vowel and consonant patterns, dividing syllables, and applying spelling rules (e.g., VCCV). These activities focus on morpheme-based decoding and encoding, allowing students to concentrate on individual word parts before applying them in broader contexts. The materials also feature numerous opportunities for students to decode and encode within connected, decodable texts that reinforce previously taught morphemes. For instance, in Week 28, Day 4, students read the decodable story Wren and Cow, identifying and circling words with the prefixes un- and re- in context. In Week 15, they read the decodable book Drums, which includes words with the endings -es, -s, and -ing such as in the sentence, "We can switch brushes on them." This allows students to apply their morpheme knowledge while reading fluently. In Week 7, they also practice decoding one-syllable and multisyllable words with morphemes in the connected text, including "Bunches of Bugs." Additionally, in Week 30, Day 1, students encode within connected text by turning to their READ Book and completing tasks that require encoding words with morphemes based on a story they’ve read, which reinforces both spelling and comprehension.