El poder de la lectura

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).

The material includes a clear purpose for the supplemental program. The Teacher Resource Book, Collection 1 states that El poder de la lectura builds on students’ existing knowledge to create new knowledge. The materials include explicit instruction and supplemental learning activities connected to the reading. For example, the materials offer students “opportunities to read the text, comprehend what they read, write about the topic, and build word knowledge.”

The materials include the purpose of the program in El poder de la Lectura, Collection 2’s “Program Content” section. This section states the skills each unit study supports. For example, “Each text study provides activities to support skills and knowledge related to decoding and word recognition, vocabulary, content knowledge, text structure, fluency, and content-based cross linguistic connections.”

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 guidance on how to direct instruction within each paired-text “Text Study” unit by providing suggested pacing through four 30-minute instructional blocks for each text, with a clearly stated focus for every block in the Teacher Resource Book, Collection 1. For example, the “Text Study” units are organized by topic and include an additional 30-minute block to review content or provide targeted extra instruction based on student needs. The materials support educators in planning instruction and adjusting pacing to reinforce learning as needed.

The materials provide guidance and recommendations for effective implementation through a sample weekly timetable in the Teacher Resource Book, Collection 1 under “Planning Considerations,” which organizes informational and narrative text study blocks across two weeks. For example, the schedule outlines 30-minute instructional blocks Monday through Thursday, with Friday designated for optional extra instruction, reteaching, consolidation, or student application activities based on literacy needs.

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.

The materials include a clear scope and sequence in the “Program Resources” section, specifically the summary chart PDF, and in the Teacher Resource Book, Collection 1, outlining the literacy skills taught throughout the program while providing a rationale for the program design through a systematic progression. The sequence organizes instruction around knowledge building, vocabulary, letter–sound review, phonics, writing, word study, and morphology, connecting these skills to informational and narrative texts to support language development and comprehension over time. For example, the materials note that educators may adjust instruction when “students need extra support to read the text” and by considering “how many students are reading fluently and understanding the texts.”

The materials include a scope and sequence in El poder de la lectura, Collection 1’s summary chart that clearly identifies the concepts students are expected to learn in each unit, such as classifying insects, understanding habitats, and practicing safety procedures. The scope and sequence also includes skills taught in the supplemental program through explicit instruction in letter–sound review, vocabulary building, writing, and morphology. However, the list does not identify when or where the TEKS are addressed in the instructional materials.

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

The materials provide guidance for effective implementation through step-by-step instructional sequences for phonological awareness, phonics, stressed syllables, syllable types, and vocabulary in the Teacher Resource Book, Collection 1. The material includes instructional pacing across units by clearly outlining the order of instruction and the progressive development of skills. Lessons feature structured routines for teaching phonological awareness, phonics, stressed syllables, syllable types, and vocabulary in a consistent sequence. The materials also provide implementation guidance through scripted “Say” prompts, lesson-by-lesson teaching sequences, and weekly timetables. The Teacher Resource Book, Collection 2, “Weekly Timetable Sample,” for example, organizes instruction into four 30-minute instructional blocks across the week. The routines include explicit supports for delivering oral language, decoding, vocabulary, comprehension, writing, and cross-linguistic instruction consistently and effectively through detailed instructional sequences rather than prescribing exact duration or frequency requirements.

The “Planning Literacy Instruction” section supports educators in organizing literacy instruction into structured blocks while maintaining consistent pacing for both informational and narrative text studies. The materials explain that instructional blocks are designed as 30-minute sessions and state that “no more than one block can be implemented in a day, depending on other components of your literacy block.” In El poder de la lectura, Collection 1, the instructional design allows educators to adjust pacing according to student needs. It asks, “How many students are reading fluently and understanding the text?” The materials suggest that educators consider, for example, whether “Students need extra support to read the text” as they evaluate the pace of their instruction to fit student needs.

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

The materials include clear instructional guidance for effective implementation through step-by-step teaching sequences, work examples, and gradual-release structures in the Teacher Resource Book, Collection 2, including lesson introduction, modeling, practice, and application. The materials guide educators in introducing paired texts, explicitly teaching vocabulary and decoding skills, leading comprehension discussions, and moving students from educator modeling to independent application. For example, the materials state that educators should “use explicit instruction to review letter–sound correspondence and to teach phonetically challenging words, multisyllabic words, and/or words with challenging syllables.”

The materials include resources and guidance for effective implementation through instructional recommendations for whole-class instruction and educator-led small groups in El poder de la lectura, Collection 1. They aid educators in organizing instruction to meet the needs of students who may require additional support with comprehension, fluency, and text understanding. The materials also include scaffolds to support students who struggle with comprehension by providing opportunities for closer educator guidance and targeted reading support. For example, in the “Teacher-Led Group” section, the materials state that “reading in a teacher-led small group allows you to support students who require close attention to read with fluency.”

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

The materials include indirect support for literacy development through accessible texts, vocabulary practice, and structured literacy routines that can be reinforced at home. However, the materials do not provide evidence of explicit family-facing implementation resources or guidance in either English or Spanish.

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).

In the “Program Resources” tab, the materials include formative assessments that directly measure the literacy skills introduced in each lesson, ensuring alignment with instruction. These assessments are designed to be used with texts students have already studied in class, allowing educators to evaluate decoding, fluency, and comprehension based on connected instructional content. For example, the assessment guidance states, “This assessment is designed to be used with texts that students have studied in class. Read the title to the student. Ask the student to read the text. Mark the decoding errors on this transcript. Write the total number of errors on each page.” However, the materials do not include diagnostic or summative assessments.

The materials include embedded formative assessments to monitor and reinforce literacy skills in student books in Supplemental Program, Collection 1. The materials provide opportunities for educators to monitor student understanding and progress through comprehension questions, phonological awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and writing activities using graphic organizers that check students’ understanding of the text and topic. For example, in the student book, ¡Tina se va de casa! students respond to comprehension questions such as, “¿Cómo se llama la casa de una hormiga?” while completing connected literacy activities that reinforce the skills taught in the lesson. However, the materials do not include diagnostic or summative assessments.

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

The materials include formative assessments located in the “Program Resources” tab that measure literacy skills connected to texts that students have studied in class. However, while the assessments provide directions for gathering data, such as tracking decoding errors and recording the total number of errors, they do not include a clear explanation for educators about how the assessment data should be used to guide instruction or support student needs. For example, the assessment guidance states, “This assessment is designed to be used with texts that students have studied in class. Read the title to the student. Ask the student to read the text. Mark the decoding errors on this transcript. Write the total number of errors on each page.” However, the materials do not include a definition for the instructional assessments or how to proceed after.

The materials include instructional assessments with a clearly defined purpose in El poder de la lectura, Collection 1, in the “Assessing Reading: Decoding, Comprehension, Fluency” and “Analyzing Reading” resource PDFs. The assessments are designed to evaluate students’ decoding accuracy, comprehension, and fluency using texts previously studied in class. The “Analyzing Reading” pages provide fluency rubrics, decoding-accuracy charts, comprehension questions, and “Planning the next step” sections to help educators interpret results and make instructional decisions based on student needs. However, the materials do not include a definition for the instructional assessments.

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

The materials include formative assessments located in the “Program Resources” tab that measure literacy skills connected to texts students have studied in class. The materials provide guidance for how to administer the assessments and indicate which related unit or lesson they are best used within. For example, the assessment guidance states, “This assessment is designed to be used with texts that students have studied in class. Read the title to the student. Ask the student to read the text. Mark the decoding errors on this transcript. Write the total number of errors on each page.”

In El poder de la lectura, Collection 2, in the “Fluency” section of the grade 1 assessment PDF, assessments provide explicit educator directions, including administration. The materials also include guidance for evaluating fluency components, such as accuracy, reading rate, and prosody through oral reading tasks, repeated reading activities, and educator-monitored prompts to support consistent scoring and instructional decision-making.

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

In the “Program Resources” tab, the materials include formative assessments that evaluate varying levels of text complexity and comprehension. The assessment items include open-ended comprehension questions and questions labeled by comprehension level (literal, inferential, and critical), allowing educators to measure whether students can recall details, make inferences, and think more deeply about the text. For example, the assessment guidance states, “After the student has finished reading, use the comprehension questions below,” and features the following literal questions: “¿Qué parte del árbol necesita la hormiga? ¿Por qué este insecto pone sus huevos en las flores?” and “¿Qué come el ave?” The materials also include inferential questions, such as “¿Por qué el ciruelo es importante para estos animales?” and “¿Por qué las madres animales querían que los animales jóvenes se fueran a dormir?” as well as a critical question, “¿Podría el autor haber utilizado otro tipo de árbol? ¿Cómo podría esto haber cambiado el libro?”

The materials include instructional assessments with items at varying levels of complexity to evaluate students’ comprehension and reading development in El poder de la lectura, Collections 1 and 2, grade 1 assessment PDFs, for the student books Enredaderas y trepadoras and Álbum del huracán. The assessments allow educators to evaluate students’ reading accuracy, understanding, and higher-level thinking. For example, after reading Álbum del huracán, students answer questions that gauge literal comprehension, such as “¿Por qué el padre cubrió las ventanas?” The question “¿Por qué era más seguro estar debajo de la mesa durante el huracán?” then checks for inferential comprehension. Finally, “¿Qué otra información necesitarían?” is an open question that assesses for critical comprehension.

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

The materials include educator-led instructional assessments that provide scoring information to support educators in accurately scoring student performance. The assessment templates guide educators in identifying high-performing skills, low-performing skills, and possible misconceptions or knowledge gaps by organizing student reading data into clear performance categories. In the assessment section, the materials include scoring categories and guidance for analyzing student reading through “Comprehension,” “Fluency,” “Decoding accuracy,” and “Decoding errors.” For example, the assessment includes comprehension questions scored out of three points, fluency indicators scored out of four points, and a decoding accuracy table that identifies performance levels such as “Easy,” “Instructional,” and “Hard.”

The materials include guidance for interpreting student comprehension and determining instructional next steps during reading activities in El poder de la lectura, Collection 1, appendix 4’s “Comprehension” section. The guidance supports educators in monitoring whether students understand the text and adjusting instruction based on student responses. For example, the “Monitor comprehension” section guides educators to ask probing questions such as “¿Tiene sentido?” and “¿Qué podría pasar después?” The materials also explain how literal, inferential, and critical questions support student understanding and reflection, helping educators identify where students may need additional support.

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 include guidance for using the supplemental program to respond to student trends in performance on assessments in the Teacher Resource Book, Collection 1, under “Comprehension.” The subsection “Supporting students who are struggling with comprehension” helps educators identify when students are having difficulty understanding texts and provides guidance for adjusting instruction based on comprehension needs. For example, the materials state, “If a student is having difficulty understanding what they have read, think about the following aspects,” and then suggest concrete approaches.

The materials include guidance for responding to student performance through review and rereading activities embedded within the supplemental lessons in El poder de la lectura, Collection 2, appendix 4. These supports help educators revisit texts, ask follow-up questions, and provide additional discussion and reflection opportunities when students demonstrate misunderstandings. For example, appendix 4 includes suggestions to “Monitor comprehension,” “Summarize,” and “Use graphic organizers,” which support reteaching and targeted reinforcement based on student responses and comprehension needs.

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.

In El poder de la lectura, Collection 1, the materials include tools for educators to track student progress and growth in the “Program Resources” section, specifically the “Assessing Reading: Decoding, Comprehension, Fluency” assessment PDFs. These assessment tools support educators in recording student reading performance, including decoding accuracy and total errors, which can help educators monitor student growth over time. For example, the materials state, “Read the title to the student. Ask the student to read the text. Mark the decoding errors on this transcript. Write the total number of errors on each page.”

However, the materials do not include tools for students to independently track their own progress and growth. While the program provides opportunities for students to participate in discussions, comprehension activities, and fluency practice, no explicit student-facing progress monitoring tools, such as goal trackers, self-assessment checklists, progress charts, or reflection logs, are provided in the reviewed materials.

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.

In the Teacher Resource Book, Collection 1 and the Teacher Resource Book, Collection 2, the program provides support for students who have not yet met proficiency during whole-group instruction. It includes small-group suggestions that are aligned to the learning objectives but are less complex, focusing on syllables as the primary unit of instruction. The materials also guide educators to support students through modeling, encouraging, having students reread, and checking for understanding of sentences and texts. In Teacher Resource Book, Collection 1, the subsection “Supporting students who are struggling with comprehension” states, “Some students may need further support to comprehend what they are reading.” Therefore, the materials also suggest that educators consider fluency, vocabulary, and background knowledge when supporting students who are struggling with comprehension.

In El poder de la lectura, Collection 1, the materials explain that students needing support may read the text in an educator-led group: “Reading in an educator-led small group allows you to support students who require close attention to read with fluency.” The materials provide scaffolds for the process, such as “modeling how to break words into syllables,” “encouraging students to reread multisyllabic words,” and “regularly checking in to see if students are understanding the text.” In addition, the “Monitor comprehension” section supports students through educator modeling, rereading, and questioning prompts, such as the suggestion, posed in Spanish, for students to guide themselves toward understanding: “Si no entiendes una oración, detente un momento. Vuelve a leerla y pregúntate: ¿qué quiere decir?”

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 do not include specific guidance for students who have demonstrated proficiency. The materials include guidance in the Teacher Resource Book, Collection 1 under “Whole class,” stating that during whole-class fluent reading time, “most students can be reading independently.” The materials include steps to support fluency development, including modeling fluent reading, reading independently, and rereading the text. The materials note that “further ideas for fluent reading practice are provided in each Text Study Unit,” supporting additional opportunities for fluency practice. However, the materials do not explicitly state that this guidance is intended for students who have mastered the content.

In El poder de la lectura, Collection 1 and El poder de la lectura, Collection 2, the materials include guidance that directs students to “reread the text with a partner, focusing on fluent and expressive reading.” Students work in groups to perform a readers’ theater of the book, applying fluency and expression by “subiendo o bajando el volumen, y leyendo más lento o más rápidamente.” In this regard, the materials include opportunities for independent, partner, and collaborative fluency practice. However, the materials do not include evidence of explicit differentiated instruction guidance for students who have already demonstrated proficiency.

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 guidance for providing specially designed instruction for students receiving special education services. The materials include general instructional supports in the Teacher Resource Book, Collection 1 for students at different levels, including guidance for students who need additional comprehension support and students who are ready to read more independently. The materials include suggestions for supports such as rereading, small-group instruction, comprehension checks, and independent reading routines. The materials do not, however, include specialized supports, accommodations, modifications, or service-based guidance for students with disabilities.

The materials do not reference accommodations, modifications, accessibility supports, individualized education program (IEP) instruction, or specialized instructional strategies for students receiving special education services. The materials include general differentiated instruction and intervention support through small-group instruction, fluency scaffolds, rereading, and comprehension supports.

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 explicit prompts and guidance to support educator modeling and explanation in Teacher Resource Book, Collection 1, under “How to Teach a Text Study Unit.” This section provides a scripted routine for introducing and explaining challenging words and their sound–spelling features, helping educators model pronunciation, decoding, and word analysis clearly during instruction. For example, in the “Teach” subsection, the materials state, “Write the word on the whiteboard and say, ‘Esta es la palabra deshacer. La palabra está en el libro que van a leer.’” The materials also provide step-by-step guidance in the “Word Building” section, where educators are directed to write the word visita and say, “Voy a cambiar el final de la palabra para ponerla en pasado.” The lesson then explains how the suffix changes the meaning of the word and guides educators through modeling the transformation from visita to visitó.

In El poder de la lectura, Collection 1, the “Fluency” section provides direct educator scripting: “Say: Voy a leer en voz alta y con fluidez. Voy a subir y bajar el volumen de mi voz, a leer más lento o más rápidamente para que el relato suene interesante.” The materials then direct educators to model fluent reading by reading aloud the first pages of the text.

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

The materials include educator guidance and recommendations for effective lesson delivery in Teacher Resource Book, Collection 1, under “Fluency,” “Whole-Class,” and “Teacher-Led Group.” These sections describe different instructional structures for fluency practice, including whole-class independent reading, educator-led small groups, and partner rereading. For example, in the “Whole-Class” subsection, the materials state that “most students can be reading independently” while the educator provides support through small-group instruction or additional fluency practice as needed.

Additionally, the “Fluency” subsection explains that instruction “can be completed as a whole-class activity or done with a small-group focus” and includes educator modeling, independent reading, partner rereading, and educator-led small-group support for students needing additional assistance. The materials also support collaborative learning and discussion routines by directing educators to “Have students work with a partner to discuss their responses” during comprehension activities.

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

The materials support multiple types of practice in Teacher Resource Book, Collection 2, under “Fluency.” This section provides guidance for modeled fluent reading, independent reading, partner rereading, whole-class implementation, and educator-led small-group support. For example, the materials describe fluency routines where educators model fluent reading by reading out loud, students read independently, and students reread the text to build accuracy, expression, and confidence.

The “Fluency” subsection also states, “Independent reading time can be completed as a whole-class activity or done with a small-group focus.” The materials further explain, “During whole-class fluent reading time, most students can be reading independently, and you can work with a small group who you know need supported guidance,” and “These students could read the text in a teacher-led group.” The materials also provide guidance for discussion and partner structures, stating that comprehension support “can be done in small educator-led groups or as a whole class,” and directing educators to “Have students reread the text (or parts of the text) with a partner, focussing on fluent and expressive reading.”

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.

This guidance is not applicable to the program because the language of instruction is Spanish.

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 full educator-facing guidance for implementing the materials in state-approved bilingual or ESL programs. However, in El poder de la lectura, Collection 2, under “Program Content,” the materials explain that each text study unit includes activities that support literacy skills, content knowledge, and bilingual language connections. For example, the materials state, “Each text study unit provides activities to support skills and knowledge related to . . . content-based cross-linguistic connections.” While this supports bilingual connections, it does not provide broader guidance or tools for effective implementation within state-approved bilingual or ESL program models.

In El poder de la lectura, Collection 2, the materials include a designated “Cross-linguistic connections” section that encourages educators to make vocabulary connections between Spanish and English. For example, educators are directed to “Teach content vocabulary in Spanish and English” and are provided paired vocabulary examples such as “polluelos → chicks,” “comen → eat,” “beben → drink,” “picotean → peck,” and “corren → run.” The materials also provide Spanish-language educator scripts to support consistent literacy instruction, such as “Voy a leer en voz alta y con fluidez. Voy a subir y bajar el volumen de mi voz, y leer más lento o más rápidamente para que la historia suene interesante.” While these supports promote Spanish literacy instruction and cross-language vocabulary connections, the materials do not include guidance on language allocation, bilingual instructional models, ESL methodologies, or systematic support for metalinguistic transfer within a dual-language setting.

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.

The materials include activities and resources that support students in transferring academic language learned in one language to another language within the context of lessons. In El poder de la lectura, Collection 2, under “Cross-linguistic connections,” the materials provide bilingual vocabulary connections and sentence frames to help students apply language knowledge across English and Spanish. For example, students connect content vocabulary, such as barco de vapor to steamboat and se inundó to flooded, before completing the sentence frame “The steamboat _____” with choices like crashed, flooded, or towed.

The materials include opportunities for metalinguistic transfer through designated “Cross-linguistic connections” activities in both collections of El poder de la lectura. The materials support English and Spanish language connections by introducing content vocabulary side by side, using gestures and illustrations, and pointing out cognates such as insectos and insects. Educators are also directed to “Teach content vocabulary in Spanish and English” and are provided paired vocabulary terms such as superficie and surface, fondo and bottom, verano and summer, invierno and winter, and rana and frog.

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).

The materials include opportunities for students to read authentic, high-quality, complex grade-level Spanish texts presented in a variety of text types. For example, as stated in the Teacher Resource Book, Collection 1 introduction, “Each Text Study unit is built around one pair of texts connected by the same concepts and sharing selected content vocabulary. The paired texts, one informational and one narrative, are ideal for decoding and fluency practice, and building content knowledge.” The materials include paired Spanish informational and narrative texts, such as Insectos and ¿Dónde están las uvas?, as well as El ciruelo and Mi árbol, and Rescate de murciélagos and Sara y los murciélagos. In the “Planning Your Literacy Instruction” section, the informational and narrative text studies focus on “Text summary,” “Content Knowledge,” “Text Structure,” “Fluency,” “Comprehension Questions and Discussion,” and graphic organizers for summarizing, recalling facts, sequencing, and plotting story structure.

The materials include grade-level Spanish texts that provide students with opportunities to read across different genres while applying decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension skills. For example, in Insectos, students read informational text that builds content knowledge about insects, including the sentence, “Sí, la abeja es un insecto. Tiene seis patas y tiene alas.” The materials also include text features and instructional supports that identify consonant blends, digraphs, diphthongs, and hiatuses within the texts, allowing students to practice decoding grade-level Spanish patterns in connected reading. In appendix 1, the materials identify a range of text types, including explicativo, narrativa, and informe, showing that students engage with multiple types of complex texts across the program.

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

The materials include a variety of high-quality texts at different levels of complexity. In “Text Study Unit Organization,” the materials include text pairs across the topics “Los animales,” “Los hábitats,” “Las personas y los animales,” and “Lo que hace la gente.” Examples of paired texts within the student books include Insectos and ¿Dónde están las uvas?, Calamar and Gran calamar y pequeño calamar, El ciruelo and Mi árbol, and Rescate de murciélagos and Sara y los murciélagos. The materials also identify phonics features within the texts, including consonant blends such as /gr/, /pl/, /fr/, and /dr/, as well as diphthongs such as /ue/ and /ia/. In the “Planning Your Literacy Instruction” section, the text studies include “Vocabulary,” “Content Knowledge,” “Text Structure,” “Fluency,” “Comprehension Questions and Discussion,” and instructions on “Sequencing and plotting the story structure using a graphic organizer.”

The materials include a variety of high-quality, grade-level Spanish texts at different levels of complexity. For example, the “Topic Organization” chart arranges texts across topics such as “Los animales,” “Los hábitats,” “Las personas y los animales,” “Lo que hace la gente,” “Las plantas,” “El medioambiente,” and “Cómo vive la gente.” Within each topic, students read both informational and narrative texts, exposing them to different genres, text structures, vocabulary, and content knowledge. The materials include texts such as Insectos, Calamar, Charlie y los cocodrilos, El gran concurso de pasteles, Una rana en un estanque, Demasiado frío para Rana, ¿Qué hay para desayunar?, and El desayuno del Rey. The appendix identifies informational and literary text types, including expository, procedural, report, diary, personal narrative, and narrative, while outlining the concepts and content vocabulary connected to each text.

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

The materials include content that is relevant, engaging, and authentically reflects students’ diverse backgrounds and experiences. For example, in “Text Study Unit Organization,” the materials include paired texts across topics such as “Los animales,” “Los hábitats,” “Las personas y los animales,” “Lo que hace la gente,” “Las plantas,” “El medioambiente,” and “Cómo vive la gente.” Text pairs include Insectos and ¿Dónde están las uvas?, Charlie y los cocodrilos and ¡No me comas!, Una rana en un estanque and Demasiado frío para Rana, and Caza de insectos and Cuidar a un mono bebé. These topics and text pairs provide students with opportunities to read about animals, habitats, environmental topics, family routines, and human–animal relationships.

The materials connect texts to students’ experiences through content-building, vocabulary, and discussion activities. For example, in “Planning Your Literacy Instruction,” each unit includes an “Informational Text Study” and a “Narrative Text Study,” with sections for “Content Knowledge,” “Comprehension Questions and Discussion,” and “Vocabulary.” The materials include relatable texts such as Nuestro lugar, El rescate de Sara en la playa, ¿Dónde podemos jugar?, El gran concurso de pasteles, ¿Qué necesitan las plantas?, ¿Qué hay para desayunar?, Vacaciones de verano, and Acampar con papá. The materials also activate prior knowledge with prompts such as “¿Alguna vez han visto fruta o vegetales que crecen sobre una planta?”

Evaluation for 8.2a
Materials activate or supply background knowledge.

The materials activate or supply background knowledge before reading and discussing the text. The materials include a “Text Summary,” such as “Mi árbol es un relato sobre un grupo de animales que viven en un árbol. Todos ellos necesitan el árbol y creen que el árbol les pertenece a cada uno de ellos,” or “La suerte de las nutrias marinas es acerca de un grupo de pescadores que trasladan a las nutrias marinas, lejos del bosque de algas para que dejen de comerse los moluscos. Pero los moluscos se comen todas las algas marinas, así que como no hay muchas algas, todos los animales se van.” The materials also include “Content Knowledge,” such as “Muchos seres vivos dependen de las diferentes partes de un árbol para sobrevivir. Los personajes de este cuento discuten sobre quién es el dueño del ciruelo en el que viven. ¿Creen que el ciruelo le pertenece a un solo animal?” and “Todas las plantas y animales que hay en un medioambiente son importantes. Cuando se retira un tipo de animal de un medioambiente, se perjudica el resto de los animales y las plantas.”

The materials activate and supply background knowledge before and during reading. For example, in Collection 2, in the lesson for Cuidar a un mono bebé, under “Content Knowledge,” the materials explain that mother monkeys normally care for their babies and that wildlife rescue organizations care for orphaned animals until they can survive independently. Additionally, in the lesson for ¿Qué necesitan las plantas?, the materials activate students’ prior knowledge through the discussion prompt “¿Alguna vez han visto fruta o vegetales que crecen sobre una planta?”

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

The materials include pre-teaching of unfamiliar vocabulary in texts through a dedicated “Vocabulary” section that front-loads content words before reading. For example, the materials teach flores as “Parte del árbol que tiene pétalos y polen” and provide the contextual sentence “La abeja busca la flor del árbol.” The materials also teach larva(s) as “Animal en estado de desarrollo, que se convertirá en un insecto” and provide the example “Las larvas comen ciruelas.” These examples show that students receive definitions and sentence-level context before reading the text.

The materials include additional pre-teaching of unfamiliar vocabulary in texts using different vocabulary examples and contextual sentences. For example, before reading an informational text, the “Vocabulary” section introduces muelle as “Una plataforma al lado del mar, hecha de madera o cemento, para estacionar los barcos” and provides the example “El marinero está sentado en el muelle.” The materials also introduce sabio as “Una persona que sabe mucho de la vida por sus experiencias vividas” with the example “El viejo sabio sabe todo sobre el bosque de algas.” In another lesson, the materials pre-teach words such as álbum and desastre with explicit definitions and contextual example sentences before students read.

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 (direct) instruction on using contextual analysis to determine the word meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary in texts. The materials include “Vocabulary,” which front-loads content vocabulary by providing definitions and example sentences, such as “flores: parte del árbol que tiene pétalos y polen.” The example sentence reads, “La abeja busca la flor del árbol.” As another example, the materials define muelle as “una plataforma al lado del mar, hecha de madera o cemento, para estacionar los barcos.” The example sentence reads, “El marinero está sentado en el muelle.” However, there is no evidence that the materials teach students to use contextual analysis as a strategy to determine word meaning independently. While the materials provide pre-taught definitions and example sentences for unfamiliar words, they do not include explicit instruction for identifying or using context clues, surrounding text, sentence structure, or other contextual information to determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary.

The materials do not include explicit (direct) instruction for using contextual analysis to determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary in texts. Although vocabulary is pre-taught through educator-provided definitions and example sentences before reading, students are not explicitly taught or guided to use surrounding words, sentences, or other context clues within the text to infer the meanings of unfamiliar words independently.

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 do not include opportunities for students to practice using contextual analysis to determine word meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary in texts. The materials include a “Vocabulary” section, which provides a variety of strategies students can use to learn the meaning of words as well as build a deeper knowledge of key content words found in the text. It instructs educators to use approaches such as “Teach synonyms and antonyms (if any),” “Act out what the word means,” “Draw a representation of the word,” “Discuss the word’s function. For example, is it a noun? a verb? an adjective?,” “Talk about related topic words and record these on a concept map,” and “Say the word in a sentence, in a question, or in a rhyme.” However, there is no evidence that the materials provide students with opportunities to practice using contextual analysis, such as clues from surrounding text, sentence structure, or prior knowledge, to independently determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary.

The materials do not include opportunities for students to practice using contextual analysis to determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary in texts. Instead, vocabulary instruction focuses on educator-provided definitions and structured vocabulary practice. For example, the program provides opportunities for students to repeat words, use student-friendly definitions, practice words in sentences with partners, discuss synonyms and antonyms, act out word meanings, and draw representations after the educator explicitly provides the word meanings.

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 include systematic and explicit instruction on reading comprehension skills at multiple levels. For example, in “Comprehension,” the materials guide educators to support students by “generating discussion using the literal, inferential, and critical questions listed in each text study unit.” Educators do so by “monitoring comprehension by modeling how to do this, and frequently checking that students understand what they are reading,” supporting students as they “summarize facts they have learned,” and making sure that students “understand story structure” using the “I Do, We Do, You Do” approach.

The materials include explicit educator-guided comprehension questions at literal, inferential, and evaluative levels. For example, after reading a text about a hurricane, students answer the literal question “¿Qué cosas hizo la familia para prepararse para el huracán?,” the inferential question “¿Por qué Coco se ocultó debajo de la casa?,” and the critical questions “¿Pueden mantenerse siempre a salvo las personas durante los huracanes? ¿Por qué piensan eso?” The materials also include “Using graphic organizers” as a method to support students in organizing comprehension through summarizing, recalling facts, sequencing, and understanding story structure.

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 multiple levels with a variety of grade-level texts. These resources include “Talk about the text,” which provides comprehension and discussion questions at multiple levels, such as “¿Qué decidió comer Ave en vez de gusanos? (Literal),” “¿Por qué Ave decidió que ya no le gustaban los gusanos? (Inferential),” and “¿Es una buena idea que un animal trate de comer un tipo de alimento diferente? ¿Por qué sí o por qué no? (Critical).” Additional examples include “¿Por qué se enredan algunas plantas? ¿Por qué trepan algunas plantas? (Literal),” “¿Por qué las plantas de sandías y calabazas se enredan y no trepan? (Inferential),” and “¿Conocen otras plantas que podrían haberse incluido en este libro? (Critical).”

The materials include opportunities for students to practice reading comprehension skills at multiple levels with a variety of grade-level texts. For example, students consistently read books and answer literal, inferential, and evaluative questions while using textual evidence to support their responses. In El ciruelo, students answer questions such as “¿Qué parte del árbol necesita la hormiga?,” “¿Por qué el ciruelo es importante para estos animales?,” and “¿Cómo podría haber cambiado el libro?” Students also apply comprehension skills by completing graphic organizers, including “Organizador gráfico: Mapa 2 de la historia” and “Organizador gráfico: Información principal.” The materials provide practice across different text types through paired texts connected by shared concepts, such as the informational text Grandes casas, animales pequeños and the narrative text ¡Tina se va de casa!