Content, Language, and Literacy

Evaluation for 1.1a
Materials include an explanation of the stated purpose of the supplemental program (e.g., additional instruction and/or practice, targeted remediation or acceleration).

In the Content, Language, and Literacy™ Teacher Resource Guide, the “Program Overview” includes the stated purpose for the supplemental program. The materials support multilingual learners with access to grade-level science content while developing academic language knowledge.

Appendix 2 of the Teacher Resource Guide states that the purpose of the program is to help develop language through content and content through language. The materials explain how the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) are used in each lesson so that students are consistently using language to make meaning out of science content.

Evaluation for 1.1b
Materials include guidance on how to appropriately use the supplemental program to support an existing core reading and language arts program.

The materials include flexible pacing guides to support educators in scheduling the supplemental instruction alongside their language arts program. Units can be implemented as 30-minute daily lessons over the course of two weeks or as 60-minute daily lessons to be completed within one week. The materials also integrate the ELPS, science TEKS, and language arts TEKS simultaneously in each lesson.

The materials include guidance for implementing the supplemental program alongside existing core instruction by integrating the curriculum with standard academic units. For example, in appendix 1 of the Teacher Resource Guide, the “ELPS” section explains that the program “intentionally frontloads the cross-curricular language expectations in the pacing guide alongside the Integrated Science and ELA units.”

Evaluation for 1.1c
Materials include a scope and sequence outlining student expectations, skills taught, and a rationale for the design of the scope and sequence.

In appendix 2 of the Teacher Resource Guide, a list of the TEKS covered by the program is included. In the “The Five-Lesson Instructional Cycle” section, lessons are organized by content focus. Lesson 1 focuses on comprehension and vocabulary, and lesson 5 focuses on review and cross-linguistic connections. The rationale of the scope and sequence in appendix 2 states that the program was purposely designed to develop language through content and content through language, demonstrating the reasoning behind how the instructional sequence supports student learning.

The materials include a program rationale design in which every lesson intentionally integrates both science and language arts TEKS. The scope and sequence organizes these standards across all 12 units of the program by identifying the overarching science TEKS being addressed at the unit level and the language arts TEKS at the lesson level. For example, unit 1 focuses on science TEKS 3.13, which is related to organisms and life processes; unit 4 addresses science TEKS 3.10(A), which is focused on weather and climate; and unit 12 addresses science TEKS 3.12(C), which concerns environmental change. At the lesson level, the materials identify the exact language arts TEKS developed within each lesson of every unit. For instance, in unit 1, lesson 1 emphasizes reading comprehension and vocabulary development through TEKS 3.6(G), 3.7(C), 3.7(F), and 3.7(G); lesson 3 focuses on standard English conventions and grammar through TEKS 3.11(D)(vii); and lesson 4 addresses composing informational texts through TEKS 3.12(B).

Evaluation for 1.1d
Materials include guidance on time requirements (e.g., duration, frequency) and suggested pacing for effective implementation.

In the Teacher Resource Guide, the “Pacing Guides” section includes a guide with lesson suggested time. The program uses a consistent lesson structure and recommends daily instruction, offering educators two scheduling options for completing the five-lesson instructional cycle and assessment.

The “Pacing Guides” section provides explanations for how to use the program for 30-minute daily lessons over the course of two weeks or for 60-minute daily lessons to be completed within one week

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

In the Teacher Resource Guide, the “What is the Preview-View-Review Strategy?” section includes the structure of a lesson that is formatted by three steps with guidance. The materials describe the program’s foundational instructional strategies, including the Preview-View-Review (PVR) three-step bilingual approach. In this strategy, the Preview phase builds background knowledge in one language, the View phase supports reading and instruction in the target language, and the Review phase returns to the preview language to reinforce and clarify understanding.

The “Five-Lesson Instructional Cycle” section guides educators through a structured progression from comprehension and vocabulary development to grammar instruction, writing application, and cross-linguistic connections

Evaluation for 1.1f
Materials contain supports for families in both Spanish and English with suggestions on supporting the progress of their student.

The Teacher Resource Guide does not contain supports for families in either English or Spanish or offer suggestions for support of student progress.

Evaluation for 2.1a
Materials include appropriate instructional assessments for the stated purpose of the supplemental program (e.g., diagnostic placement assessments for targeted remediation or acceleration).

The “Assessment” section explains that the program is designed to provide integrated supplemental instruction and practice for multilingual learners rather than standalone intervention instruction. The materials include ongoing instructional assessments through “Content, Language, and Literacy Assessment” sections embedded within the units. These assessments are intended to monitor students’ understanding of science content alongside the development of their language and writing skills, allowing educators to make instructional adjustments throughout the unit as needed.


The online “Program Resources” include summative assessments at the end of every unit to check how well students understand the content and how their language and writing skills are developing so educators can adjust instruction during the unit. For example, an assessment may contain a multiple-choice section and a written-response section. Each lesson provides opportunities for formative and summative assessments throughout the program. At the end of each lesson, in the “Repaso” section, students are asked to write a response using sentence stems to show their understanding of the skill that was taught and practiced that day. For example, “Usen las estructuras de oraciones provistas para un escrito interactivo acerca de las diferencias entre los mamiferos y los peces de agua salada.” The structured directions serve as a formative assessment when used during instruction to monitor students’ understanding of the main idea of the lesson. It may also function as a summative assessment when used at the end of the lesson to evaluate students’ mastery of the skill.

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

The “Content, Language, and Literacy Assessment” section states that the purpose of the assessment is to check how well students understand the content. Additionally, the assessment also checks how well their language and writing skills are developing so that educators can adjust instruction during the unit. The two components of the assessments give educators a more complete picture of what students know, how they express that knowledge, and what kind of language or writing support they need.

The multiple-choice questions on the assessment are used to assess science content knowledge. The written-response question on the assessment is used to assess both science content knowledge and student writing skills, including organization and clarity. Educators can use the data gathered from the assessment to adjust instruction during the unit. If the assessment is used during the unit, it would serve as a formative assessment, and if it is used at the end, it would serve as a summative assessment.

Evaluation for 2.1c
For instructional assessments administered by educators, materials include guidance to ensure consistent and accurate administration of instructional assessments.

In the Teacher Resource Guide, the “Pacing Guides” section includes guidance to support the consistent and accurate administration of instructional assessments. The materials identify when the “Content, Language, and Literacy Assessment” should be administered by placing it at the end of each unit after the completion of lessons 1–5. The assessment is scheduled for day 5 in the one-week schedule and day 10 in the two-week schedule. Additionally, the materials provide guidance for time allocation during assessment administration. The “Pacing Guides” section designates specific instructional blocks for completing the assessment, directing educators to allocate either a 60-minute daily block or a 30-minute daily block, depending on the selected instructional pathway, to administer the multiple-choice and written-response sections.

The “Content, Language, and Literacy Assessment” section includes consistent administration of instructional assessments. For example, if a student answers the multiple-choice question incorrectly, they score 0 points. For the written response, if they are assessed as “developing,” they score 20 points. For the second written response, if they are assessed as “proficient,” they score 40 points.

Evaluation for 2.1d
Instructional assessments include items at varying levels of complexity.

The summative assessments include both a multiple-choice question and a written-response question. The Teacher Resource Guide states that the purpose of the multiple-choice question is to assess if students understand the science content being taught. Therefore, these types of questions require students only to understand the science material. The written-response question, however, requires students to express their knowledge, as well as write with clarity and organization. Students must explain their thinking, which requires a higher cognitive effort.

The “Content, Language, and Literacy Assessment” section includes two different levels of complexity for the end-of-unit assessments. For example, students read and respond to a text. This activity requires the student to answer a multiple-choice question with four sample answers to choose from. Then, the student completes a written response where they are assessed for process and organization, as well as their understanding and explanation of science ideas.

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

In the Teacher Resource Guide, the “Content, Language, and Literacy Assessment Rubric” includes a rubric for each aspect of language that educators can use to track students’ content understanding. The purpose of this tool is to give educators a more complete picture of what students know. Additionally, the rubric outlines how educators should score each section of the 100-point assessment. The rubric divides scoring into three components: Multiple Choice, Process and Organization, and Science Ideas and Explanations. For the multiple-choice section, responses are scored as either correct or incorrect. For the written-response sections, the rubric provides detailed performance descriptors for proficiency levels. The online resources also provide a comprehensive “Multiple Choice Answer Guide” that identifies the correct answer choice for each assessment question across all 12 units.

The materials include scoring guidance to support consistent and accurate evaluation of end-of-unit assessments. For example, students earn a proficient score in Process and Organization when their writing demonstrates a clear structure, logically ordered ideas, and smooth transitions, while lower performance levels reflect partial organization or unclear expression of ideas. Similarly, the Science Ideas and Explanations category evaluates the accuracy and completeness of students’ responses to the prompt, with proficient responses addressing all parts of the task and developing responses including only partial explanations. These scoring supports provide educators with consistent criteria for evaluating students’ content understanding and academic language development.

Evaluation for 2.2b
Materials provide guidance for the use of the supplemental program to respond to student trends in performance on assessments.

The materials do not provide guidance or tools for educators to respond to student trends in assessment data. There are no tools to collect or analyze individual or class-wide trends, and there are no suggestions for how to use the data to adjust future instruction. The materials in the Teacher Resource Guide state that assessments can be used to adjust instruction during the unit. However, if the assessments are administered at the end of the unit, it would not be possible to adjust instruction within that same unit. In addition, the materials do not provide specific activities or tasks to implement in response to assessment data trends. The materials do not provide tools for tracking or evaluating individual student performance or class-wide patterns, nor do they offer recommendations for using assessment results to inform future instruction.

Evaluation for 2.2c
Materials include tools for educators to track student progress and growth, and tools for students to track their own progress and growth.

The materials do not include tools for educators to track student progress and growth over time. No templates or logs are provided, so educators would have to create their own materials to track progress over time in science, language, and writing skills. In addition, no materials are provided for students to record and track their own progress for either the science or literacy skills being taught. The materials do include assessments for individual units, but this does not allow educators or students to track progress over time in science or writing skills.

The materials do not include guidance or resources to help educators analyze and respond to patterns in student assessment performance. While the Teacher Resource Guide notes that assessment results may be used to adjust instruction during a unit, assessments administered at the end of a unit do not provide opportunities to modify instruction within that same unit. Additionally, the materials do not include specific instructional activities or interventions to address identified student needs.

Evaluation for 2.2d
If applicable for the stated purpose of the supplemental program, materials include guidance for entry and exit criteria.

This guidance is not applicable to the program because the program has a stated purpose of additional instruction and/or practice, not targeted remediation or acceleration.

Evaluation for 3.1a
If applicable for the stated purpose, materials include educator guidance for differentiated instruction and activities for students who have not yet reached proficiency in grade-level skills.

“Vista previa” provides a look back on the previous lesson as an opportunity for support that includes a “Discusión del vocabulario” anchor chart. The materials include vocabulary words in English and Spanish along with a picture in the anchor chart. The materials also include opportunities for students to use words from the chart with a partner to write sentences and form paragraphs.

The “Repaso” section provides another opportunity for review and support. Students use provided sentence structures from previous sentences for interactive writing about the differences in “mamíferos y los peces de agua salada.” In addition, students use grade-level readers to respond to the prompt, “Cómo cuidan a sus crías los animales que conocen,” under “Activando el conocimiento previo.”

Evaluation for 3.1b
If applicable for the stated purpose, materials include educator guidance for differentiated instruction and activities for students who have demonstrated proficiency in grade-level skills.

The materials include a standardized lesson structure intended for whole-class implementation. There is no guidance for differentiating content, process, or output for students performing above grade-level expectations. The instructional process remains the same for all learners, as all students use the same sentence stems, scaffolds, and discussion structures during lessons. The materials include uniform lesson outputs, with all students completing the same co-constructed writing responses, dialogue activities, and reflection tasks without differentiated extension activities or enrichment options.

The materials do not include direction on how to adjust task content, increase rigor, or incorporate additional skills for students who are ready for more advanced work. The materials also do not include general or lesson-specific guidance for offering extra challenges or extension activities.

Evaluation for 3.1c
Materials include educator guidance for providing specially designed instruction (SDI) for students receiving supports and services through special education.

The materials do not include educator guidance for providing SDI for students receiving supports through special education services. The “Program Overview” explains that the curriculum is an integrated approach designed to help multilingual learners access grade-level science content while developing academic language skills. The materials do not include specific guidance for adapting instruction to address the individualized needs of students with disabilities. The materials include instructional supports—such as sentence frames, anchor charts, and the bilingual Preview-View-Review (PVR) strategy—as universal supports for all multilingual learners rather than as specially designed instruction. The materials do not include recommendations for modifying content, instructional methods, learning activities, or lesson delivery to meet special education requirements.

The materials include a whole-class instructional approach. For example, in unit 7, lesson 4, the “Responding to Text Through Writing” section asks students to work with the educator to create an informational text explaining how and why animals migrate. The educator note states that the purpose of the lesson is for students and the educator to participate together in the group creation of a written text. The materials include sentence frames for all students, such as “Algunos animales migran porque…” and “Las diferentes formas de migración son…,” for the class to use as they collaboratively construct paragraphs on the board. The materials do not include alternative activities, modified assignments, or educator guidance for adapting the content, instructional approach, or delivery of the lesson for students who require specially designed instruction.

Evaluation for 3.2a
Educator-led supplemental programs include explicit (direct) prompts and guidance to support the educator in modeling and explaining the skill(s) to be learned.

The materials include modeling prompts that explain the concept of the lesson in “Activando el conocimiento previo.” For example, the materials include the prompt, “Diga: Las imágenes nos ayudan a entender la idea principal del texto.” The materials include guidance for educators to support student understanding by then asking, “Pregunte: ¿Qué tienen en común las imágenes de la madre zarigüeya y la madre petirrojo?”

The Teacher Resource Guide includes explicit support for modeling and explaining skills. In unit 2, lesson 3, the “Grammar and Foundational Skills” section includes scripted modeling and step-by-step instructional guidance that introduces the grammar concept gradually by adding information one step at a time and explaining each component as it is presented. The lesson includes scripted language to support explicit instruction. For example, the materials explain that plural nouns are words that indicate more than one person, place, thing, or idea.

Evaluation for 3.2b
Educator-led supplemental programs include educator guidance and recommendations for effective delivery and facilitation using a variety of instructional approaches.

In unit 1, lesson 1, the “Comprehension and Vocabulary” section includes educator guidance and recommendations for effective lesson delivery through multiple instructional approaches, including visualization, student discourse, and collaboration. The “Vocabulary” anchor chart helps students visualize and connect essential vocabulary concepts, while structured Partner A/Partner B discussions promote collaborative learning and oral language development. The materials also provide explicit educator guidance to support implementation of these instructional approaches. The lesson includes scripted educator language, guiding questions, and sentence stems to facilitate discussion. For example, the educator is directed to state, “Diga: Las imágenes nos ayudan a entender la idea principal del texto.” The lesson then provides discussion prompts such as, “Pregunte: ¿Qué tienen en común las imágenes de la madre zarigüeya y la madre petirrojo?” To support student participation in collaborative discussions, the lesson includes sentence frames such as: “Ambas, la madre (zarigüeya) y la madre (petirrojo), tienen en común que están (cuidando) a sus crías.”

In unit 4, lesson 3, the “Grammar and Foundational Skills” section includes educator guidance and recommendations for effective lesson delivery through multiple instructional approaches, including visualization, collaboration, and academic discourse. The material directs educators to create an anchor chart to support students’ understanding of compound words and to use the chart as a visual tool for explaining how words are formed in Spanish and English. The materials also encourage collaborative learning by having students discuss examples from the chart and explain how each compound word is constructed before adding it to the visual display. Additionally, the lesson provides educator guidance through scripted explanations, guiding questions, and language supports. For example, the educator is directed to explain the concept by stating, “Diga: En español, hay palabras que se forman al juntar dos o más palabras. Estas se llaman palabras compuestas.” The materials also provide discussion prompts deepen student understanding, as well as sentence stems, like “The word (southwest) is formed by the words (south) and (west) joined together. It is formed by a (noun) and a (noun).”

Evaluation for 3.2c
Materials include guidance for educators on recommended structures (e.g., whole group, small group, individual) to support effective implementation.

The Teacher Resource Guide provides specific examples of guidance for implementing recommended instructional structures, including small-group and partner-based learning activities. For example, in unit 1, lesson 3, the lesson objectives in the “Grammar and Foundational Skills” section direct educators to use a small-group structure during reading and grammar instruction. The materials guide students to review the text and identify the functions of subjective pronouns such as they, he, and she “by rereading selected sections of the text in small groups.” The materials continue a small-group instructional structure in lesson 3 routines throughout other units. Additionally, in unit 4, lesson 1, the “Comprehension and Vocabulary” section provides explicit directions for implementing a partner structure. During the “Vista previa” routine, the educator is instructed to “Provea un libro a cada par de estudiantes.” The material then guides educators to facilitate a “Discusión en parejas” activity using structured dialogue between “Compañero/a A” and “Compañero/a B.”

In unit 2, the Animal Lifetimes text recommends that guidance for educator structures, such as whole-group and individual implementations, is included in the materials. In lesson 4, the “Note to the Teacher” section states, “The purpose of this lesson is for students, together with the educator, to participate in the group creation of a written text that integrates the content and the grammar learned in Lesson 3.”

Evaluation for 3.3a
Materials include educator 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 materials do not include guidance to differentiate for various levels of language proficiency in the materials. While the materials include a general statement that educators can use the Proficiency Level Descriptors (PLDs) on the Texas Education Agency (TEA) website to see examples of what student language may look like at different levels, this does not provide enough frequent and specific guidance for educators to differentiate by language level within this program. There are no differentiated sentence stems for pre-production, beginning, intermediate, high-intermediate, and advanced levels. The materials provide only generic one-size-fits-all guidance for emergent bilingual (EB) students.

The materials do not include educator guidance for differentiating linguistic accommodations according to varying English language proficiency levels, such as beginning, intermediate, advanced, or advanced high. While the program is designed to support EB students through instructional scaffolds such as sentence frames, anchor charts, and the Preview-View-Review strategy, these supports are provided as universal accommodations for all students rather than differentiated supports based on proficiency level. For example, in unit 1, lesson 1, “Comprehension and Vocabulary,” students participate in structured Partner A/Partner B discussions using the same academic language supports. The materials provide a shared sentence frame: “Partner A: The main idea is that all adult animal species reproduce and provide for their (young) in (different) ways.” All students are then expected to use the same language structure regardless of their English language proficiency level.

Evaluation for 3.3b
Materials include implementation guidance to support educators in effectively using the materials in state-approved bilingual and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs.

The materials do not include specific guidance that supports educators in using the materials in different bilingual and ESL programs. The Teacher Resource Guide provides information to build background knowledge on language acquisition for educators in general, but not how this program would fit into different models. It is not stated when these materials would be used or how they would be used in different bilingual program types.The materials do not include examples that show how this program would be used in conjunction with any state-approved model.

The materials suggest that the Teacher Resource Guide could be used to build on emergent and experienced bilinguals’ existing knowledge of their home language. However, this suggestion does not provide direct guidance for how to use the materials in specific programs such as dual language immersion, transitional bilingual programs, or ESL models.

Evaluation for 3.3c
If designed for dual language immersion (DLI) programs, materials include resources that outline opportunities to address metalinguistic transfer from English to the partner language.

In the Teacher Resource Guide, activities and resources support students in making metalinguistic connections between English and Spanish. The “Program Overview” explains that lesson 5 of each unit is dedicated to “Review and Cross-Linguistic Connections,” during which students apply grammar concepts learned earlier in the week to compare similarities and differences between the two languages. The materials provide opportunities for students to engage in metalinguistic conversations and analyze language patterns across English and Spanish. For example, in unit 4, lesson 5, students examine the formation of compound words in both languages using an educator-created anchor chart. The chart illustrates how compound words are formed in English, such as rain and forest makes rainforest, while in Spanish, guardar and bosque makes guardabosque. The educator then uses the three essential cross-linguistic connection questions to guide students in comparing word formation patterns across the two languages. Through these discussions, students identify similarities and differences, including examples such as rainforest, which is a compound word in English, compared to bosque tropical, which is not a compound word in Spanish.

Additionally, in lesson 1, the “Comprehension and Vocabulary” section includes activities to support students in transferring the academic language learned to another language. For example, in “Repaso,” students use the chart for vocabulary with vocabulary pictures to learn to name the picture in both English and Spanish.

Evaluation for 8.1a
[English reading language arts] Materials include opportunities for students to read high-quality, grade-level, complex texts as appropriate for the program's stated purpose, in a variety of text types (e.g., literary, informational). [Spanish reading language arts] Materials include opportunities for students to read high-quality, grade-level, complex authentic or transadapted Spanish texts as appropriate for the program's stated purpose, in a variety of text types (e.g., literary, informational).

In unit 12, lesson 2, students read a text organized around a cause-and-effect structure that requires them to analyze how human activities and climate change contribute to declining animal populations. Students examine how clearing land, building cities, and rising global temperatures affect habitats and lead to species such as polar bears becoming endangered. Similarly, in unit 6, lesson 4, students read an argumentative text that asks them to evaluate the author’s claim that coral reefs should be protected. Students identify the facts and evidence used to support this claim while applying it to their understanding of complex ecological concepts, including coral polyps, algae, food webs, and symbiotic relationships.

The materials include informational texts and narrative nonfiction. For example, the unit 4 text The Land Where I Live describes the homes of a variety of children in their own voices and in first person. There is also an example of persuasive text included within one of the student books. The Coral Reef features a small section called “How can you help?” that allows students to interact with persuasive text. Another student book, The Weather Today, includes an opportunity for students to read procedural text on one page of the book where they are shown how to build their own weather station.

Evaluation for 8.1b
Materials include a variety of high-quality texts at different levels of complexity.

The informational science texts present varying levels of complexity through text structure, syntax, vocabulary, and knowledge demands. The program features 12 content-rich informational science texts, such as Animal Parents, The Weather Today, Amazing Animal Survivors, and Going, Going, Gone? In unit 1’s Animal Parents, students learn about how different animal species reproduce and care for their young. In unit 3’s The Weather Today, students investigate how meteorologists use tools such as satellites and weather balloons to gather atmospheric data and predict weather conditions. In unit 5’s Amazing Animal Survivors, students examine food chains and how energy from the sun flows through plants and animals. Unit 9’s Going, Going, Gone? allows students to explore how animal species have changed over time as they learn about evolution from common ancestors.

In the Teacher Resource Guide, the student texts are high quality and increase in complexity throughout the program. For example, Animal Lifetimes is an informational text with specific facts about animal lifecycles. The text includes vocabulary such as adults and hatching. “The Animal Kingdom” section includes classification of animals, and the text identifies tier 3 vocabulary, with content-specific words such as vertebrates and invertebrates.

Evaluation for 8.1c
Texts include content that is relevant, engaging, and authentically reflects students' diverse backgrounds and experiences.

The materials include a variety of science-related topics such as animals, coral reefs, places where people live, plants, maps, and the weather. The range of topics, vivid photographs and illustrations, and rich language are engaging enough to capture the readers’ attention. For example, the book Coral Reefs presents a great deal of surprising facts and new information to students. The persuasive section of this text, titled “How can you help?” asks students to think about how they themselves can connect to the topic and solve problems related to coral reefs.

The unit 4, lesson 1 text, The Land Where I Live, features the section “Vista Previa: Activando el conocimiento previo,” where the educator asks the students questions specific to weather. For example, they ask what the students know about the weather, how the weather impacts the way they live, and which clothes they would wear in a specific region.

Evaluation for 8.2a
Materials activate or supply background knowledge.

In unit 1, lesson 1, “Activando el conocimiento previo,” educators are guided to ask students what they know about how animals reproduce and take care of their young. The educator writes the students’ answers on the board. This same section also directs educators to have students observe the images in the student book in order to activate their previous knowledge on the topic.

The structure of the units allows for students to build on their relevant background knowledge. For example, in the Teacher Resource Guide, the “The Five-Lesson Instructional Cycle” section explains how each lesson builds on the last lesson. The first two lessons are about comprehension and vocabulary of the book being read. Lesson 3 focuses on the grammar and foundational skills found in that book. Lesson 4 allows students to respond to the text through writing, and lesson 5 is a review and a cross-linguistic connection between ideas in English and Spanish. Because the same student text is used throughout the entire unit, students are able to build and deepen their background knowledge on that topic to support comprehension.

Evaluation for 8.2b
Materials include pre-teaching of unfamiliar vocabulary in texts.

The materials include explicit directions for educators to pre-teach the relevant vocabulary that will be found in the student texts. For example, in unit 1, lesson 2, “Vista previa discusion del vocabulario,” educators present an anchor chart that lists the vocabulary words in both English and Spanish alongside an image. Students are then able to preview these vocabulary words in the sentences from the book before reading the book itself and discussing the words. The materials identify the specific vocabulary words that will be essential to understanding the text, such as mammals and regurgitate.

The materials provide opportunities for educators to pre-teach essential vocabulary words. For example, in unit 2, lesson 2, “Vista previa discusion del vocabulario,” educators show the students an anchor chart with pre-selected vocabulary words in both English and Spanish, such as survive and newborn. The anchor chart also includes visuals of these vocabulary words. In this same section, the educator reads aloud from a small section of the book and discusses the meaning of the pre-selected vocabulary words with the students in context.

Evaluation for 8.2c
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction on using contextual analysis to determine the word meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary in texts in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The materials do not include explicit instruction, explanation, and/or modeling of how to use contextual analysis to determine word meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary in texts.

The materials include opportunities for students to use the context of a sentence or the surrounding text to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. However, the educator is never prompted to explicitly teach or model how to do this for the students. For example, in unit 2, lesson 2, “Vista previa discusion del vocabulario,” the educator first presents specific vocabulary words from the student book on an anchor chart. Next, in this same section, the students discuss the meaning of these vocabulary words while using specific sections of the student book. For example, students are able to see and use the words sobrevivir and alimentan in the context of the book being read. However, the educator does not show students how to do this and there is no guidance given to the educators on how to explicitly teach this skill.

Evaluation for 8.2d
Materials include opportunities for students to practice using contextual analysis to determine word meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary in texts in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The materials provide opportunities for students to use contextual analysis to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. For example, in unit 3, lesson 2, “Discusion del vocabulario,” the educator first presents an anchor chart with specific vocabulary words on it from the student book. Next, students are referred to the book to discuss the meaning of the vocabulary words, such as meterologos and globos. In this example, students are able to practice using surrounding sentences and paragraphs to help them understand the meaning of the new words.

The materials provide opportunities for students to practice using context to understand the meaning of unfamiliar words. For example, in unit 6, lesson 2, “Vista previa discusion del vocabulario,” the educator first shows the students an anchor chart with vocabulary words that will be found in the student book, such as refugio and red alimentaria. Students are then asked to work with a partner to use these words in sentences that are found in the student book. As a result, students get the opportunity to see and discuss the vocabulary words in the context of the book.

Evaluation for 8.3a
Materials include systematic and explicit (direct) instruction on reading comprehension skills at multiple levels (i.e., literal, inferential, evaluative) in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The materials do not include opportunities for direct and explicit instruction in reading comprehension skills at multiple levels. Students are given opportunities to answer questions, but the educator does not explicitly teach skills at multiple levels. Some lessons in the Teacher Resource Guide include direct instruction on literal comprehension skills but do not include explicit instruction on inferential skills or evaluative skills. For example, in unit 6, lesson 1, “View Comprehension Skills,” the educator guides the students in gaining literal comprehension of the text. The focus skill of this lesson is asking questions to gain information. The educator models asking specific literal questions and guides students to discuss the answer with a partner. The educator then provides the answer to ensure comprehension. Some literal questions include “What is a coral reef?” and “Based on the text and the diagram, what conditions do coral polyps need to be healthy and grow?” The answers to these questions can be found directly in the text, so the lesson is focused on literal comprehension skills.

The materials provide opportunities for students to use inferential comprehension skills to better understand the text, but educators do not explicitly model how to do this. The student is given questions requiring them to draw conclusions in discussions with a partner. For example, in unit 12, lesson 1, “View Comprehension Skills,” the educator asks several questions at an inferential level, such as “How do changes in the environment threaten the survival of many animal species?” and “How and why do our activities have an impact on the survival of animal species?” Students then have to synthesize information from the section of the text and make inferences to answer these questions. However, the educator does not show students how to do this beforehand. In addition, students can use evaluative comprehension skills, but the educator does not explicitly model or show how to do this. For example, in unit 6, lesson 2, “Repaso,” students write about why they believe it is important to protect the coral reefs. Students make judgements and form opinions based on the material learned. However, there is no guidance provided for how to show students how to evaluate or write at this level.

Evaluation for 8.3b
Materials include opportunities for students to practice reading comprehension skills at multiple levels (i.e., literal, inferential, evaluative) with a variety of grade-level texts in alignment with the grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The materials include opportunities for students to practice reading comprehension skills at the literal, inferential, and evaluative levels, but only with informational texts. Students routinely answer literal comprehension questions. For example, in unit 1, lesson 1, “View Comprehension Skills,” students discuss with a partner: “Why do animals reproduce?” The answer to this question can be found directly in the student book. Students also regularly answer inferential questions. For example, in unit 4, lesson 1, “View Comprehension Skills,” students discuss with a partner: “How does the climate affect how Jackson lives?” Students synthesize information from the text and make inferences based on the evidence provided. Students also evaluate or form opinions in the program. For example, in unit 5, lesson 2, “Repaso,” students must think of another solution to improve the problem that plants are disappearing and explain why they think this would be a good solution. However, while the texts are informational, persuasive, and procedural, students are not given the opportunity to practice comprehension skills with the persuasive or procedural texts.

The materials include opportunities for students to practice reading comprehension skills at multiple levels, but they are given this opportunity with only informational texts. For example, the Plants: The Key to Life student book is an informational text, and according to the Teacher Resource Guide, students use it throughout unit 5 to practice answering literal, inferential, and evaluative questions. Students practice comprehension skills throughout the program with informational text. However, along with an informational section, the Coral Reefs student book also includes a persuasive section and a narrative non-fiction section in the form of a diary. Students are asked questions about this text on multiple levels in the Teacher Resource Guide’s unit 6, but these questions only cover the sections of the book that are the informational text. Educators are never directed to read chapter 4 of Coral Reefs, which is the section that includes the persuasive text and the narrative nonfiction text, and therefore there are no practice opportunities or questions included for students to practice comprehension skills with these other types of text. Additionally, The Weather Today student book includes one page that is procedural, in the form of a “Build your own weather station” activity. However, educators are never directed to read this page with students, and therefore no practice questions are included for this type of text.