Fountas & Pinnell Classroom (FPC), Grade 2

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 materials do not provide guidance on how the program is used as a supplemental program or for additional instruction and/or practice to support targeted remediation or acceleration. The PDF “Preparing for Fountas & Pinnell Classroom™: An Interactive Action Plan” describes the program as a comprehensive system of classroom-based literacy instruction rather than a supplemental tool.

Phonics, Spelling, & Word Study Lessons, Grade 2 states the “intended purpose is explicit lessons with materials appropriate for whole-group instruction, individual, partners, or small-group application.” There is no guidance on how the program can be used as supplemental instruction and/or practice, or for targeted remediation or acceleration.

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.

In Phonics, Spelling, & Word Study Lessons, Grade 2, the “Fitting It All Together” section outlines the distribution of components across a comprehensive three-hour instructional block. The materials do not offer guidance or evidence for implementing the program as a supplemental resource. Instead, the framework explicitly positions it as a core curriculum.

The online digital resources include a 180-day plan that explicitly details daily lesson sequences across various program components. However, educators are not provided with specific guidance, strategies, or instructional pathways on how to effectively integrate or use these materials in a supplemental capacity.

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 online resources include a 180-day plan detailing a comprehensive, yearlong instructional sequence that encompasses all eight program components. While the publisher notes that this daily sequence is a suggested model that can be modified at the educator’s discretion, the documentation does not include a rationale for the scope and sequence. Furthermore, while the 180-day plan outlines daily instructional skills, it does not include student expectations.

In Phonics, Spelling, & Word Study Lessons, Grade 2, the materials include a scope and sequence outlining the 100 lessons based on early-, middle-, and late-year skills. Although this resource provides a rationale for each phonics lesson, the other components of the materials do not include a rationale for the sequence. Additionally, there are no student expectations referenced in the materials.

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

The materials provide pacing and daily time requirements within the 180-day plan, which outlines the structural framework for language and literacy opportunities, readers’ workshop, and writers’ workshop. The document uses clock icons to illustrate recommended instructional minutes for each individual component and context across the sequence.

In Phonics, Spelling, & Word Study Lessons, Grade 2, the “Fitting It All Together” section details a daily schedule by outlining the exact instructional minutes required for each program component: Group Meeting, Interactive Read-Aloud, Shared Reading, Phonics/Spelling/Word Study, Reading Minilesson, Small Group Instruction/Independent Literacy Work, Group Share, and Writers’ Workshop.

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

The online materials include a 180-day scope and sequence and implementation plan for educators, The plan includes guidance for “making this instructional plan your own” as well as “helpful tips” and support for “putting it all together.” The online materials also include a video titled “Unpacking the Phonics, Spelling and Word Study System, Grade K–4” that supports educators in understanding the materials included in the program and how to organize them.

The online materials include an interactive implementation plan that contains four steps to support educators with implementation. The steps include “define your vision and values,” “set goals,” “get to know the Fountas & Pinnell Classroom system,” and “plan your literacy time.” The plan also directs educators to professional development videos to support implementation.

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

The shared reading materials include a caregiver letter available in English, Spanish, and additional languages such as French and Hmong. The letter introduces families to how students will engage with books throughout the year and provides general suggestions for ways parents can support literacy at home. However, the letter does not provide specific suggestions for supporting student progress throughout the program.

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 grade 2 online materials contain a “Phonics and Word Study Assessment Guide” along with formative assessments for each component of word study: letter–sound relationships, spelling patterns, high-frequency words, vocabulary, word structure, and word-solving actions. Each component includes multiple assessments and the materials to go along with them. Phonics and Word Study Lessons also contains quick, formative observational assessments within each lesson to assess student understanding. However, the materials do not include summative assessments.

The materials in the Interactive Read Aloud, Grade 2 include an assessment section in each lesson card. The assessment provides specific prompts to observe children’s reading behaviors and record them on a recording form. Each lesson includes a formative assessment, with specific look-fors to guide administration, but does not include a summative assessment.

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

The supplemental program includes an “Assessment Overview” in the Phonics, Word Study, and Spelling, Grade 2 component that describes the importance of ongoing observations of student literacy behaviors and explains how and why educators should assess what students know about letters, sounds, and words. The guide provides descriptions of ongoing observations and systematic assessment tasks to be used across the six areas of learning of the curriculum. However, it does not include the definition or intended purpose of each assessment.

While a general purpose of the Fountas & Pinnell Interactive Read Aloud Collection Guide, Grade 2 is to “gain important information by observing children as they participate in interactive read-aloud discussions,” the materials do not specifically address the varied assessment types in the program. The materials do not explicitly identify whether the assessment is intended to serve a formative or summative purpose.

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

In Phonics, Spelling, & Word Study Lessons, Grade 2, the materials provide guidance for the consistent and accurate administration of instructional assessments. The “How to Use It” section gives instructions on whether to administer tests individually or in small groups, lists necessary resources, describes student behaviors to observe during testing, and explains how to record responses.

The Reading Minilessons Book, Grade 2 materials provide educator guidance for administering formative assessments, including observational guiding questions.

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

While the Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study, Grade 2 resource identifies lessons as being in the early, middle, or late stage of development, the assessment section does not provide explicit guidance for educators on how to ensure assessments include varying levels of complexity aligned to those developmental stages. For example, it states instructions such as, ”Notice whether children are able to recognize high frequency words with three or more letters.” However, the resource does not provide guidance on which words to use to ensure that the assessment varies in complexity.

While The Reading Minilessons Book, Grade 2 materials include some oral assessments, they do not provide a variety of item types or items at varying levels of complexity. For example, the assessment after an umbrella/unit includes a list of questions the educator can ask while students are reading. However, these questions do not include different item types or items at varying levels of complexity.

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

The Reading Minilessons, Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study, Interactive Read-Aloud, and Shared Reading components provide general formative assessments through an optional assessment section with educator prompts. For example, in Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study, Grade 2, lesson LSR 7, the assessment directs the educator to “observe children as they read words with the CVCe pattern. Notice whether they are able to solve the words accurately with little effort,” but does not provide guidance on interpreting those student responses and/or student performance.

Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade 2 contains assessments for spelling patterns that provide resources and information for giving the assessment, but no guidance for scoring. The text states, “Note the results on the individual record,” and provides a sheet to track the data, but offers no guidance on scoring or interpreting student performance.

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

Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade 2 includes tracking sheets for educators to note whether students can demonstrate specific skills. However, it offers no guidance or resources on how to score, track, and/or respond to the data, nor resources for how an educator should respond to student performance as identified by scoring skills on a tracking sheet. The materials do not include suggested activities or lessons to respond to student needs.

Interactive Read-Aloud, Grade 2 provides an “Assess the Learning” opportunity at the end of each lesson card. However, the assessment is general and does not provide guidance on how to respond to student performance. For example, educators are encouraged to “Observe children to find evidence they can: understand details in the story or notice how the illustrations help to convey the author’s message.” The materials do not provide guidance on how educators should interpret or respond to assessment data, nor do they suggest targeted activities, lessons, or resources to address identified student 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.

The program materials provide an “Independent Reading Recordkeeping Form” for educators, which includes spaces to record student names, day of the week, and comments. While the program includes an “Independent Reading Tracking Sheet” for students to record books read during Independent Reading, these tools do not track all literacy skill growth throughout the year.

The materials do not include how students can track their own growth within the program. The materials provide one way for educators to track student data through the “Student Summary Form” found in the general resources. However, the form is a general tracking form and is not tied to specific goals or standards.

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 Phonics, Spelling, & Word Study Lessons, Grade 2, each lesson includes a section titled “Consider Your Children.” However, the section only provides general guidance for educators on differentiating instruction. For example, in the Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade 2, LSR 4 guidance states, “You may not need to spend much time on consonant blends if children demonstrate that they fully control this principle.” These guidelines are general and do not specify how to provide differentiated instruction for students who have not yet reached proficiency in grade-level skills.

While the materials do not include explicit guidance for differentiation or activities for students who have not yet reached grade-level proficiency, they do include general guidance. For example, in the Interactive Read-Aloud, Grade 2 lesson “Pecan Pie Baby,” “Introduce the Text” states, “Consider the strengths and needs of your children and the demands of the text as you introduce and read the text.”

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 Reading Minilessons, Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study, Interactive Read Aloud, and Shared Reading components include an optional “Extend the Lesson” section with suggestions for activities to use with students. However, the section does not provide guidance for differentiated instruction for students who have demonstrated proficiency in grade-level skills. For example, in Phonics, Spelling, & Word Study Lessons, Grade 2, lesson LSR 5 states, “Repeat the lesson with other words containing two- and three-letter consonant clusters.”

Shared Reading, Grade 2 includes an option for “Additional Teaching Opportunities During/After Reading” within the lesson. For example, in the Shared Reading book Night of the Ghost Crabs, the “Additional Teaching Opportunity” states, “Have children imitate the drumming movements.” However, the educator guidance is generic and lacks guidance for differentiated instruction and activities for students who have demonstrated proficiency in grade-level skills.

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 provide any guidance for students receiving special education supports. While educators are prompted to “Consider your children” when planning phonics and word study lessons, there is no further educator guidance for providing specially designed instruction. For example, in Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade 2, lesson LSR 17 states, “Identify letter–sound relationships with which children need more experience and tailor the lesson accordingly.”

While the materials include some special features such as audiobooks that educators can use to support students before, during, and after reading, they lack guidance on how to adapt materials to meet the individual needs of students receiving supports and services through special education within the program.

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 provide explicit, direct educator prompts to support educators. For example, in The Reading Minilessons Book, Grade 2, lesson RML 3 directs educators to conduct a demonstration at the word work center, invite a student volunteer to identify and describe materials, and model appropriate procedures for using and returning materials. Embedded prompts such as “What things do you notice in the word work center?”, “What will the directions tell you?”, “How should the word work center be left when you are finished?”, and “Why does that matter?” support educators in guiding student thinking and discussion. Additional guidance explains how to facilitate partner discussions, create an anchor chart summarizing the routine, and reinforce expectations for using materials and following directions within the word work center.

The materials include explicit, direct prompts and guidance to support the educator in modeling and explaining the skill or skills students will learn. For example, lesson LSR 4 in the Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade 2 includes educator-led prompts that explicitly support the educator in modeling, such as “Display the initial consonant clusters and digraphs. Say, ‘What do you notice about the consonant clusters?’” The “Teach” section provides step-by-step guidance to support modeling and explaining the specific skills of the lesson. “Teach,” “Apply,” “Share,” “Assess,” and “Extend” sections appear in each lesson to support and guide the educator in understanding, explaining, and teaching each skill or principle covered.

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

Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade 2 includes educator-facing lesson plans for all lessons in the program. “Understand the Principle,” “Explain the Principle,” “Teach the Principle,” “Apply,” “Share,” “Assess,” “Connect,” and “Extend” sections provide educators with details on introducing a concept and modeling through direct instruction. For example, lesson LSR 14 “Teach” guides the educator: “Using magnetic letters, build the word fast. Have children notice the consonant cluster -st.” and “Have children suggest additional words that end with -st. Invite children to build each word.” The lessons offer various instructional approaches such as educator modeling, student partnering to practice a comprehension skill, and independent skill practice.

Shared Reading, Grade 2 includes educator-facing lesson plans for all lessons in the program. “Warm-Up: Phonics,” “Introduce the Text,” “First Reading,” “Second Reading,” “Discussing (Within, Beyond, About) the Text,” “Rereading the Text with Explicit Teaching,” “Responding to the Meaning of the Text,” “Independent Reading,” “Connecting to Other Books,” and “Assessment” sections provide educators with details on introducing a concept and modeling through direct instruction. Then the lessons include various instructional approaches such as educator modeling, student partnering to practice a comprehension skill, and independent skill practice.

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

In The Reading Minilessons Book, Grade 2, RML 3 directs educators to conduct a demonstration at the word work center, invite a student volunteer to identify and describe materials, and model appropriate procedures for using and returning materials. Embedded prompts such as “What things do you notice in the word work center?”, “What will the directions tell you?”, “How should the word work center be left when you are finished?”, and “Why does that matter?” support educators in guiding student thinking and discussion. Additional guidance explains how to facilitate partner discussions, create an anchor chart summarizing the routine, and reinforce expectations for using materials and following directions within the word work center.

The book club materials include guidance for educators on whole-group, small-group, and individual classroom structures to support effective implementation. For example, the Book Clubs Collection Guide, Grade 2 directs educators to “Introduce the four titles from the text set to the whole class” before reading and to note that “Some children may be able to read the text independently” during reading. The “After Reading” column states, “When all children in a group have finished reading or listening to the book, bring them together for a discussion.”

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.

Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade 2 includes guidance for “Working with English Language Learners.” Each unit plan dedicates a section to educator guidance for supporting emergent bilingual students. For example, in LSR 7, the educator support suggests, “Help students think about the name of the letter and associate it with the long vowel sound they are hearing.” However, the materials do not include educator guidance on providing linguistic accommodations for various levels of language proficiency as defined by the ELPS.

The book club materials include discussion cards with a “Goals” section, whose intended purpose is for the educator to “Choose or modify goals that match the learning needs of your students.” The goals listed are listening and speaking, building deep understanding, and writing about reading. While each overview card lists these goals for each book in the sets, the materials do not include educator guidance on providing linguistic accommodations for various levels of language proficiency as defined by the ELPS.

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 Reading Minilessons Book, Grade 2 provides no guidance to support emergent bilingual students. While “Academic Language/Important Vocabulary” appears in the sidebar of each lesson, it is general and does not provide educator guidance in effectively using the materials. For example, in RML 1, the word list includes personal box, book bag, classroom library, and independent reading. There is no definition, visual, or guidance on how to use those words to support emergent bilingual students in the classroom.

The Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade 2 Implementation Guide provides a general overview for working with emergent bilingual students in the “What Are Some Ways of Working Effectively with English Language Learners?” section. The statements and strategies are general and do not offer any educator guidance or tools for effective classroom implementation for each lesson. For example, LSR 6 in Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade 2 advises, “Be sure that children work with simple, clear examples that they understand,” to support educators in working effectively using the materials in the lesson. The guide does not provide resources or assistance in delivering lessons with specific scaffolds to support emergent bilingual students.

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.

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

Evaluation for 4.1a
Materials do not include the three-cueing method as defined in Texas Education Code (TEC), §28.0062. TEC, §28.0062 defines three-cueing as a method of reading instruction for the identification of words in which a student is encouraged to draw on context and sentence structure to read words without sounding the words out or using a phonics-based approach.

The materials include an example of three-cueing using the MSV approach for word identification. The Reading Minilessons Book, Grade 2 minilesson SAS.U1.RML 1 instructs the educator to “Show The Perfect Beak, read the title, and give a brief reminder of the book. Turn to page 2 and read, pausing at the covered word needs. Ask the student, ‘What could this word be? What word would make sense and sound right in this sentence? Let’s check to see if you are right.’ Uncover the word. ‘Let’s read the sentence again to make sure it makes sense, looks right, and sounds right.’” This instruction reflects the three-cueing approach because it directs students to identify the word using meaning, sentence structure, and visual cues rather than decoding the word through letter–sound correspondences.

Evaluation for 4.2a
Materials include a systematic sequence of phonological awareness skills in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose that progresses from basic skills and larger units of sound to more complex skills and smaller units of sound.

The opening pages of the Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study System, Grade 2 Teacher Guide contain a “Nine Areas of Learning Across the Year” chart. The information provided for units on phonological awareness states, “See Grade 1 lessons on Phonological Awareness.” There are no phonological awareness lessons in the grade 2 phonics and word study materials. In alignment with the grade 2 TEKS, lessons in phonological awareness for grade 2 should include rhyming, distinguishing between short and long vowels, recognizing changes in spoken words at the phoneme level, and manipulating phonemes. While some of these concepts appear in lessons, they are presented in print rather than delivered orally.

The Shared Reading, Grade 2 materials include “Instructional Routines for Foundational Skills,” which provides a sequence of instruction that “progresses through the alphabetic system explicitly and systematically through consistent routines in the areas of phonology, concepts of print, letter knowledge, orthography, and morphology,” from tapping sounds and syllables to syllable boxes and forming words. However, these lessons focus on print and are not aligned with the grade 2 phonological awareness TEKS. For example, the “Sound It Out” activity in the “Instructional Routines for Foundational Skills” instructs the educator to “Tell the children you are going to teach them how to sound out a word. Write the word from the text on the whiteboard. Cover the word. Uncover each letter left to right and have children say the sound it represents. Have students blend sounds as you go, as you run your finger or pointer under the letters.” While this lesson instructs students to identify and blend phonemes, it is tied to the printed text.

Evaluation for 4.2b
Materials include a systematic sequence of phonemic awareness skills in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose that progresses from basic skills (e.g., identifying, blending, and segmenting phonemes) to more complex skills (e.g., adding, deleting, and substituting phonemes).

While Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade 2 provides a systematic sequence of phonemic skills as presented in the “Nine Areas of Learning Across the Year” from “Letter-Sound Relationships to Spelling Patterns,” “High Frequency Words,” “Word Meaning Vocabulary,” “Word Structure”, and “Word-Solving Actions”, the materials do not include students recognizing changes in a spoken word when a specified phoneme is added, changed, or removed, nor manipulating phonemes within base words. Lessons address some grade-level skills, but they are combined with print instead of being taught orally. For example, the “Sound Boxes” activity has students listen to sounds in words from beginning to end. The lesson instructs the educator to “Ask the children to look at your mouth as you say the word slowly and run your finger under the sound boxes. Then ask the children to say the word slowly with you. Have them tell you the letter or letter cluster to write for each sound.” While this lesson instructs students to identify and blend phonemes, it is tied to the written word.

After completing the Guided Reading, Grade 2 text Tyler’s Trunk, students sort words with long vowel sounds. However, students read written words rather than working with spoken words. There are no phonological-awareness activities in which sound is used exclusively; all activities are tied to print. There is no systematic sequence of phonemic awareness skills in alignment to grade 2 expectations.

Evaluation for 4.2c
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction in phonological and phonemic awareness skills in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade 2 provides explicit instruction in connecting sounds to letters. LSR2 includes orthology as part of the lesson, which does not focus on the oral manipulation of sound structures per the standards. In the “Teach” section, the educator presents seven step-by-step instructions: “1. Tell children that they are going to think more about sounds and letters in words. 2. ‘Listen to this word: even.’ Invite children to say the word aloud with you. ‘Now listen to this word: over.’ Have children say the word aloud with you. ‘What do you notice about the way these words sound?’ 3. ‘Which consonant letter stands for the /v/ sound?’ .... 4. Repeat the procedure with words such as city, open, and begin that have different medial consonants. 5. At this point, you may wish to shift to an initial focus on the visual characteristics of a word. 6. Reinforce the principle. ‘When you see a letter in the middle of a word, you can say its sound.’” However, the materials do not engage students in grade-level, oral phonological or phonemic awareness activities such as blending, segmenting, adding, deleting, or substituting phonemes independent of print.

In the Guided Reading, Grade 2 lesson for The Ant Bridge, the “Warm-Up: Phonics and Phonics/Letter” and “Word Work” sections provide educator-directed instruction related to letter–sound relationships. Students identify sounds in printed words such as leaf, off, and laugh and then discuss how different letters or letter clusters can represent the /f/ sound. Although the educator models the task and guides students through matching sounds to letters, the instruction remains tied to printed words and graphemes. The materials do not engage students in grade-level, oral phonological or phonemic awareness activities such as blending, segmenting, adding, deleting, or substituting phonemes independent of print.

Evaluation for 4.2d
Materials include cumulative student practice of phonological and phonemic awareness skills in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The materials include some cumulative student practice of phonemic awareness skills through the Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study book. Each lesson in the book includes an opportunity for students to apply their thinking, share their learning, extend their learning, connect across other contexts, and practice at home. For example, LSR 22 has students learn to recognize and use letter combinations that represent two different vowel sounds, starting with the educator teaching and modeling the skill. Students then practice reading the words and add examples such as snow and now to the word lists. Afterward, students practice by playing a game of “Concentration” with a partner. The materials then provide opportunities to practice using these combinations through the Interactive Read-Aloud, Shared Reading, Interactive Writing, and Independent Writing. Students also continue to add words to the list as they find new ones, and play “Go Fish!” and practice reading these words in various situations. Despite all of these components, there are no accessible decodable texts for students to practice reading on their own. The materials rely on educator-guided activities such as Shared Reading and Interactive Read-Aloud or leave it to students to find examples of words in their own books. The materials do not engage students in cumulative practice of grade-level, oral phonological, or phonemic-awareness activities such as blending, segmenting, adding, deleting, or substituting phonemes independent of print.

In the Fountas & PInnell Guided Reading, Grade 2 lesson “Great Skate Parks”, students participate in phonics warm-up and word work activities focused on recognizing and reading words with the vowel-consonant-silent e (VCe) pattern, including skate, ride, place, and time. Students also use phonological and print information when solving unfamiliar words. The lesson provides opportunities to practice a specific phonics pattern. However, the materials do not engage students in cumulative practice of grade-level, oral phonological or phonemic awareness activities such as blending, segmenting, adding, deleting, or substituting phonemes independent of print.

Evaluation for 4.2e
Student practice includes only phonological and phonemic awareness skills that have been explicitly taught.

In the Guided Reading Lessons, Grade 2 lesson “The Messy Room,” students participate in a phonics warm-up and word study activities focused on the vowel-consonant-silent e (VCe) spelling pattern. During the lesson, students read and write words such as came, game, gave, side, and lines, and identify common spelling patterns in printed words. The lesson also includes student prompts to use phonological and print information to solve unfamiliar words while reading. Although the students practice reading words with a targeted pattern, the practice is connected to phonics instruction and printed text rather than phonological or phonemic awareness skills taught and practiced orally.

Student practice with only phonological or phonemic awareness skills are not available as stated in the “Instructional Routines for Foundational Skills” within the Shared Reading, Grade 2 materials. Student practice combines phonological and phonemic awareness instruction with orthographic skills. As a result, students do not have opportunities to engage in isolated phonological or phonemic awareness practice of skills that have been taught.

Evaluation for 4.A.3a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing sound-spelling patterns in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The materials include a sequence for introducing phonics and word study skills, as outlined within Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade 2 Master Lesson Guide. The lessons move from letter–sound relationships to spelling patterns, high-frequency words, vocabulary, word structure, and word-solving actions. However, the sequence does not demonstrate a fully systematic, TEKS-aligned progression of sound–spelling patterns that ensures cumulative mastery of grade-level phonics expectations. While the materials indicate that students explore increasingly complex phonograms and words with reliable and irregular letter–sound correspondences, the progression is primarily organized around instructional routines and word-study categories rather than a tightly controlled scope and sequence of phonics elements. As a result, several key sound–spelling pattern categories appear inconsistently sequenced or insufficiently transparent in terms of mastery progression, including vowel teams (e.g., ai/ay, ee/ea, oa/ow), diphthongs (oi/oy, ou/ow), r-controlled vowels (ar, er, ir, or, ur), consonant digraphs and trigraphs (sh, ch, th, tch, dge), and more complex consonant clusters. Additionally, while the materials include inflectional endings and multisyllabic decoding strategies, they do not clearly delineate a step-by-step progression that systematically builds from simpler to more complex patterns or ensures repeated, cumulative practice across all the TEKS-aligned phonics skills. Therefore, although phonics and word-study skills are present within the instructional framework, the sequence does not provide a clearly defined, systematic pathway for full coverage and mastery of all grade-level sound–spelling patterns as required by the TEKS.

The materials do not include a systematic sequence for introducing sound–spelling patterns in alignment with the grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program’s stated purpose. In the Guided Reading lesson “A Pig with a Job”, students receive instruction in the vowel-consonant-silent e (VCe) spelling pattern during the “Warm-Up: Phonics and Phonics/Letter” and “Word Work” sections. Students identify the sounds and letters in the words make, name, and take, and learn that “The first vowel is long and the e is silent.” However, while the lesson provides explicit instruction and practice with a sound–spelling pattern, it does not demonstrate a systematic sequence for introducing sound–spelling patterns across the program. Specifically, the lesson does not show how instruction progresses from previously taught simpler patterns to more complex patterns over time.

Evaluation for 4.A.3b
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction in decoding and encoding words using sound-spelling patterns in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade 2 includes sound–spelling pattern instruction appropriate to the program’s stated purpose. However, the spelling pattern lessons do not provide explicit instruction in decoding and encoding words using sound–spelling patterns. For example, in “Spelling Patterns 3, Recognize and Use Phonograms with a VCe Pattern,” students compare CVC and VCe word pairs to identify, decode, and encode within the lesson. In “Teach,” the lesson provides the educator with step-by-step directions including “1. Write several words on the whiteboard. 2. Ask, ‘What do you notice about the patterns in these words?’ 3. Invite children to read the words with you. Ask, ‘What do you notice about the words when you say and hear them?’ 4. Ask children to sort the words according to their vowel sounds. 5. Invite students to read each column of words. Then write more words and repeat the process.” However, there is no explicit instruction for encoding words in the lesson. While general guidance advises educators to “Guide students to generalize the principle and write word pairs,” the lesson lacks explicit instruction in decoding and encoding.

Guided Reading Collection, Grade 2 includes sound–spelling pattern instruction appropriate to the program’s stated purpose. However, the spelling pattern lessons do not provide explicit instruction in decoding and encoding words using sound–spelling patterns. For example, the “Warm-Up: Phonics” section of the Guided Reading lesson accompanying the text A Walk in the Woods focuses on decoding words with double consonants. An educator script uses the word shell: “Did you hear the sound at the end of the word? Let’s say the word together and listen for the last sound. Guide students to notice that the last sound is /l/. At the end of the word shell, which consonant letters stand for the /l/ sound? Repeat the process with the word bell.” The script does not provide information for the educator to explicitly state that consonant sounds are sometimes represented by double consonant letters.

Evaluation for 4.A.3c
Materials include cumulative student practice in decoding and encoding words using sound-spelling patterns in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose, both in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in decodable connected text, to develop automaticity.

Each lesson in Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade 2 introduces a new pattern for decoding words using sound–spelling patterns in isolation but does not provide opportunities to practice previously learned patterns for cumulative practice. For example, after lesson “Spelling Patterns 13,” students read the poem “Rain” from Words That Sing during shared reading. However, the lesson provides no decodable connected text. Furthermore, each lesson provides practice for encoding words only for the target skills. In the “Extend Learning” portion of “Spelling Patterns 13,” students record words they find in the classroom that contain the -ain or -ail patterns. There is no cumulative practice to develop automaticity for encoding words using the sound–spelling patterns in isolation or in connected texts.

Each lesson in Guided Reading Collection Guide, Grade 2 focuses on only one sound–spelling pattern and does not provide cumulative practice opportunities for previously learned patterns. For example, the lesson that accompanies the text The Foxes focuses on words that begin with consonant clusters such as play, ground, grass, brown, and clean. Students write a sentence dictated by the educator that contains words with consonant clusters. However, there is no cumulative practice in decoding words in isolation or in connected text, nor is there any student cumulative practice in encoding words using sound–spelling patterns in isolation to develop automaticity.

Evaluation for 4.A.3d
Student practice includes only sound-spelling patterns that have been explicitly taught.

Guided Reading Collection Guide, Grade 2 provides numerous Guided Reading lessons that use non-decodable texts with various sound–spelling patterns not taught in the Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade 2 materials. As a result, students encounter and practice reading sound–spelling patterns during Guided Reading before receiving explicit instruction in those patterns during phonics, spelling, and word-study lessons.

In lesson 1, “Letter–Sound Relationships,” students decode words containing a variety of sound–spelling patterns, some of which have not been previously taught. For example, there are multiple words that begin with consonant clusters such as sniff, dress, and class. However, lessons do not cover this sound–spelling pattern explicitly until “Letter-Sound Relationships” lessons 3, 4, and 5. Although students encode dictated words, the lessons do not provide word lists, which means that students may be asked to write words with patterns that they have not yet been explicitly taught.

Evaluation for 4.B.3a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing regular and irregular high-frequency words from a research-based list in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

While the Comprehensive Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Guide includes a sequence of high-frequency word recognition behaviors and provides lists of 100 and 200 high-frequency words, the evidence does not demonstrate a clear grade-specific progression for introducing and revisiting regular and irregular high-frequency words. Specifically, the high-frequency word behaviors span grades preK–8 rather than identifying grade 2 expectations, and the Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study, Grade 2 materials include only nine high-frequency words lessons, resulting in the introduction of many words in a single lesson. Although students engage with high-frequency words through reading, writing, and word-study activities, the materials do not clearly show how instruction progresses from regular decodable words to increasingly complex regular and irregular high-frequency words from a research-based list.

The materials do not demonstrate a systematic sequence for introducing regular and irregular high-frequency words from a research-based list in alignment with the grade-level TEKS, as appropriate for the program’s stated purpose. The materials include high-frequency word instruction embedded within the Guided Reading lessons, which identify selected words for reading and writing during phonics and word work activities. However, there is no clear progression of high-frequency word instruction across the grade level. For example, the lesson “Ouch” identifies hit, mom, big, and hug as high-frequency words; “Lion on the Loose” identifies too, over, then, and looked; and “Dinosaur at School” identifies will, or, and us. Lessons introduce sets of words without explaining selection criteria, differentiating regular from irregular high-frequency words, or indicating how instruction builds in sequence or complexity over time. While the materials provide opportunities for students to engage with high-frequency words through reading and writing activities within guided reading lessons, they do not clearly articulate how lessons systematically introduce, review, or reinforce regular and irregular high-frequency words to support cumulative learning and grade-level mastery.

Evaluation for 4.B.3b
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction in decoding and encoding regular and irregular high-frequency words from a research-based list in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The materials do not include direct instruction in decoding regular and irregular high-frequency words. For example, the Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study, Grade 2 materials include only nine “High-Frequency Words” lessons, resulting in the introduction of many words within a single lesson. “High-Frequency Words 1” introduces students to 16 high-frequency words. The lesson directs the educator to “Hold up the lesson’s pocket-chart cards anything, game, give, goes, home, know, live, many, play, put, school, something, stay, teach, use, over one at a time. Ask students, ‘Say anything. What do you notice about the word anything? It combines two words.’ Continue going through all the words with the class, each time asking the children what they notice.” While students encounter high-frequency words through observation and discussion, the lesson does not explicitly teach the regular sound–spelling correspondences, irregular spellings, or pronunciation-spelling relationships within the words, nor does it model a process for decoding and reading the words to mastery.

The materials include “Instructional Routines for Foundational Skills,” which outlines six steps for a high‑frequency word routine for grades K–3. The steps guide educators to introduce the word, say and track the word, find the word in text, write the word in multiple ways, check and rewrite the word, and make connections to other words. However, students do not receive explicit instruction in encoding regular and irregular high-frequency words. For example, the Guided Reading lesson card for “The King’s Bed” labels the activity as a high-frequency word lesson, but the only directive is “If time permits, have students read and write high-frequency words this, said, not.” There is no educator modeling, explicit instruction in spelling patterns, or explanation of irregular letter–sound correspondences to support encoding. While the materials offer opportunities for students to encounter high-frequency words, this lesson does not provide explicit instruction in decoding or encoding them and instead relies on rote memorization.

Evaluation for 4.B.3c
Materials include cumulative student practice in decoding and encoding regular and irregular high-frequency words from a research-based list in alignment with grade-level skills as appropriate for the program's stated purpose, both in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in decodable connected text, to develop automaticity.

The materials do not provide cumulative student practice in decoding regular and encoding irregular high-frequency words from a research-based list, aligned with the grade-level TEKS, as appropriate for the program’s stated purpose. The materials include a high-frequency word list; however, it is not aligned with grade-level skills and is based on each child’s “reading experiences and their level of word knowledge.” Nine lessons in Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade 2 teach the words in isolation. For example, high-frequency word (HFW) lesson 1 introduces the words anything, game, give, goes, home, know, live, many, play, put, school, something, stay, teach, use, and over. The words are not aligned to any overarching specific phonics grade-level skills and do not include cumulative practice of decoding or encoding high-frequency words.

The materials do not demonstrate cumulative student practice in encoding regular and irregular high-frequency words. For example, the Guided Reading lesson card for “Dinosaur at School” refers to the activity as a high-frequency word lesson, but the only student practice provided states, “If time permits, have students read and write high frequency words will, or, us.” This isolated activity does not show intentional review of previously taught words or progression across lessons, nor does it include opportunities to practice encoding or applying words in connected decodable text. While students encounter high-frequency words through brief reading and writing tasks in guided reading lessons, the materials do not consistently provide opportunities to practice decoding and encoding newly introduced and previously taught words in isolation and within decodable connected text.

Evaluation for 4.B.3d
Student practice includes only regular and irregular high-frequency words that have been explicitly taught.

The materials provide opportunities for students to practice high-frequency words through phonics routines, games, and activities. However, in these activities, students read and/or spell high-frequency words that have not been introduced through explicit instruction. For example, because the Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study, Grade 2 materials include only nine High-Frequency Words lessons, students work with words beyond those explicitly taught. In HFW lesson 8 “Read and Write Approximately One Hundred High-Frequency Words,” students practice 16 words: sky, my, dry, drop, drip, trip, tree, trees, fast, fist, mist, miss, mess, dress, dresses, and dressed. Of these 16 words, only my appears on the “Fountas & Pinnell 100 High-Frequency Words” list. As a result, student practice is not consistently limited to regular and irregular high-frequency words that have been explicitly taught.


While the materials provide opportunities for students to practice high-frequency words through Guided Reading lesson cards that include brief reading and writing tasks, students practice words that have not been previously introduced through explicit instruction. For example, the Guided Reading lesson card for “What a Pain!” indicates that it is a high-frequency word lesson. However, the only student practice guidance in the lesson states, “If time permits, have students read and write high frequency words reason, why, feel.” Because the lesson lacks a clear scope and sequence, it is not evident that these words have been previously explicitly taught.

Evaluation for 4.C.3a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing syllable types and syllable division principles in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

While the Comprehensive Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study, Grade 2 Guide describes 14 groups of syllable-related behaviors that progress from understanding that a syllable contains one vowel sound to recognizing and using syllable types and syllabication patterns, including open, closed, r-influenced, vowel combination, VCe, consonant-le, VCCV, VCCCV, and VV patterns, the text does not provide an intentional, cumulative sequence aligned to grade 2 expectations. Specifically, the text presents these behaviors as a broad developmental continuum rather than a grade-specific scope and sequence, and the materials indicate that educators may teach lessons in any order based on their knowledge. Although students engage with a range of syllable types, syllable-division patterns, and word-analysis skills, the materials do not clearly show how instruction systematically progresses from foundational to more complex syllable concepts or how the sequence supports mastery of the grade-level TEKS.

Although the Guided Reading, Grade 2 lessons include phonics instruction focused on short-vowel patterns, sound-symbol relationships, high-frequency words, blending, phonogram patterns, and word-solving strategies, there is no structured pathway for developing students’ understanding of syllable concepts over time. Specifically, across “A Burrow for Owls,” “The Kite Contest,” and “Skunk’s New Scooter,” instruction remains focused mostly on one-syllable words including big, went, nest, stop, and past, while multisyllabic words that appear in the texts are not accompanied by systematic instruction in syllable types or syllable-division principles. Students may encounter multisyllabic words during reading. However, the materials do not include a systematic sequence for introducing syllable types and syllable-division principles.

Evaluation for 4.C.3b
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction in decoding and encoding one-syllable and multisyllabic words in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The materials do not include explicit instruction in decoding and encoding one-syllable and multisyllabic words in alignment with the grade-level TEKS. While the Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study, Grade 2 lesson “Hear, Say, Clap, and Identify Syllables in Words with Three or More Syllables” introduces syllable segmentation, the instruction focuses on identifying, discussing, and sorting syllables rather than explicitly teaching students how to apply syllable types or syllable-division principles to decode and encode words. Specifically, the lesson directs educators to “Write the words hat, mother, museum, and alligator” and have students clap and say the syllables together, discuss what they notice, and “Say, sort, and write words with one to four syllables.” Although students engage in identifying and counting syllables, the lesson does not provide explicit modeling, guided practice, or direct instruction in using syllable patterns to decode unfamiliar one-syllable or multisyllabic words or to encode words through spelling.


Although the Guided Reading, Grade 2 lesson card for “The Bird That Cannot Fly” introduces multisyllabic word practice, the instruction does not include how to apply syllable types or syllable division principles for decoding and encoding. Specifically, the “Phonics/Letter and Word Work” section directs educators to have students sound out multisyllabic words to spell words including different, excellent, and giraffe. While students participate in spelling multisyllabic words, the lesson does not include explicit modeling, guided practice, or systematic instruction in applying syllable patterns or syllable-division principles to decode unfamiliar words or encode them through spelling, including words with double consonants. Instead, students infer or apply consonant patterns without explicit instruction. The materials do not include explicit instruction in decoding and encoding one-syllable and multisyllabic words as required by the grade-level TEKS.

Evaluation for 4.C.3c
Materials include cumulative student practice in decoding and encoding one-syllable and multisyllabic words in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose, both in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in decodable connected text, to develop automaticity.

While the Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study, Grade 2 lesson, “Hear, Say, Clap, and Identify Syllables in Words with Three or More Syllables,” introduces syllable segmentation, the student practice focuses on identifying, discussing, sorting, and writing words by syllable count rather than applying taught syllable types or syllable-division principles to decode and encode words. Specifically, the lesson directs educators to “Explain to children that they are going to learn about words and word parts. On chart paper, write the words hat, mother, museum, and alligator at the top of a column. Say, ‘When you say these words, you can hear the parts.’ For each of the words, have children say and clap the word with you. Explain to children that they are going to say, sort, and write words with one to four syllables.” Although students engage in oral and written syllable-awareness activities, the materials do not provide cumulative opportunities to apply previously taught skills through repeated practice, increased complexity, or a progression from guided to independent application. Furthermore, the lesson does not include structured decoding or encoding practice with unfamiliar words, cumulative review of previously taught syllable patterns, or practice in decodable connected text to reinforce syllable knowledge and develop automaticity.

Although the Guided Reading, Grade 2 lessons, including “The King’s Bed”, “An Airplane for Pig”, and “A Toad and a Frog,” introduce word work through high-frequency words and text-based vocabulary, the student practice emphasizes reading, writing, and discussing selected words rather than sustained application of taught syllable types or syllable-division principles. Specifically, students read or write selected words and complete sentence-writing activities, but the lessons do not provide structured opportunities to apply previously taught decoding and encoding skills. While students engage in word-study activities connected to the individual texts, the materials do not provide repeated opportunities to apply previously taught skills through structured practice, increased complexity, or a progression from guided to independent work. Furthermore, the materials do not include cumulative practice with syllable types, syllable division principles, or spelling patterns, and they do not use the reading selections as decodable connected text to reinforce previously taught phonics and word analysis skills.

Evaluation for 4.C.3d
Student practice includes only syllable types and syllable division principles that have been explicitly taught.

While Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study, Grade 2 word structure (WS) lesson 2 provides opportunities for students to engage with syllables through oral and written-word activities, the lesson does not require students to apply only previously taught syllable types or syllable-division principles during practice. Specifically, the lesson instructs the educator to “Explain to children that they are going to learn about words and word parts. On chart paper, write the words hat, mother, museum, and alligator at the top of a column. Say, ‘When you say these words, you can hear the parts.’ For each of the words, have children say and clap the word with you. Explain to children that they are going to say, sort, and write words with one to four syllables.” While students engage in saying, clapping, discussing, and sorting words by syllable count, the materials do not identify the specific syllable types or syllable-division principles that have been explicitly taught before requiring students to apply those concepts. Instead, the practice is based on general syllable-awareness activities and educator-selected words that are not clearly linked to prior instruction in syllable types or division patterns.

While the Guided Reading, Grade 2 lessons “The King’s Bed”, “An Airplane for Pig”, and “A Toad and a Frog” provide opportunities for students to work with vocabulary and multisyllabic words encountered in texts, the lessons do not require students to apply only previously taught syllable types or syllable-division principles during practice. Specifically, word-study activities focus primarily on high-frequency words, vocabulary, and words drawn from the text, and multisyllabic words appear within reading selections without prior instruction in the syllable patterns they contain. Although students engage in reading and writing text-based words during Guided Reading, the materials do not clearly identify the specific syllable types or syllable-division principles that have been explicitly taught but require students to apply those concepts in practice. Educator-selected vocabulary and the demands of individual texts drive practice, rather than a sequence of explicitly taught syllable concepts. As a result, students may read and write words containing syllable types and syllable-division principles that have not been explicitly taught, and student practice does not include only syllable types and syllable division principles that have been explicitly taught.

Evaluation for 4.D.3a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing morphemes in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

While the Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study, Grade 2 Master Lesson Guide outlines a suggested progression of word-study lessons that incorporate morphological elements such as prefixes, suffixes, and base words, the materials lack an intentional, cumulative sequence for introducing and developing morphemic knowledge aligned to grade-level expectations. Specifically, morphemes are embedded within a broad developmental continuum rather than a clearly defined grade 2 sequence. Although students engage with morphemes through work with prefixes, suffixes, and base words across lessons, the materials do not clearly show how instruction progresses systematically from foundational to more complex morphemes or how the sequence supports mastery of the grade-level TEKS.


The materials include a single reading minilesson, RML6, focused on affixes, specifically prefixes and suffixes, with words cracking, disability, and colorful. However, the evidence does not establish a clear progression of morphological skills across the grade level. For example, this isolated lesson represents the only morpheme-focused instruction in the component. No other lessons address other affixes, base words, or roots, and there is no indication of how morphological concepts are introduced or revisited over time.

Evaluation for 4.D.3b
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction on morphological skills in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

While Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study, Grade 2 lesson WS16 includes opportunities for students to interact with morphemes through forming plurals, the instruction does not provide clear, direct teaching of the targeted morphological concept. Specifically, the lesson instructs educators to “Write the words bench, wish, glass, fox, and quiz on chart paper. Read the words aloud. Ask, ‘What do you notice about all of these words?’. Encourage children to say the plural word aloud, then write benches,” then “Guide children to generalize the principle to add -es,” relying on observation and discussion rather than explicit instruction. Although students encounter the inflectional ending -es and base words including bench, wish, glass, fox, and quiz, the materials do not explicitly teach how morphemes function within words through a clear explanation of base word and suffix relationships or provide structured modeling for applying this knowledge in reading and writing.


The materials include the Guided Reading lesson “Uh-Oh, Bernard!”, in which students encounter words containing the inflectional ending -ed. However, the instruction emphasizes reading and writing words from the text rather than directly teaching morphological structure or meaning. For example, students read and write words with -ed, but the lesson does not explicitly identify the ending as a morpheme or explain how it changes the meaning of the base word. While students engage with morphemes through exposure to inflectional endings such as -ed, the materials do not provide explicit instruction on morphological skills.

Evaluation for 4.D.3c
Materials include cumulative student practice of morphological skills in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose, both in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in connected text, to develop automaticity.

While lesson WS 17 in Phonics, Spelling & Word Study Lessons, Grade 2 provides opportunities for students to analyze morphological features in isolation, the instruction does not extend this learning into connected text for cumulative application. For example, the lesson directs the educator to write singular words on chart paper, record their plural forms in a second column, then ask students, “What do you notice about how I made these words plural?” Students analyze the addition of the inflectional ending -s by comparing isolated word pairs and discussing the spelling pattern. However, the lesson concludes with students identifying and generating plural forms of individual words and does not require students to apply this morphological pattern within sentences or connected text.

In the Guided Reading lesson “Uh-Oh, Bernard!”, students read and discuss words from the text that contain morphological features, including the inflectional ending -ed. However, this practice is limited in scope and does not demonstrate a systematic progression of morphological learning over time. For example, the lesson does not revisit previously taught prefixes, suffixes, inflectional endings, or base words through cumulative word study activities, nor does it provide structured opportunities for students to apply morphological knowledge beyond the immediate lesson. While students encounter words with inflectional endings within the text, the materials do not include cumulative practice of morphological skills in isolated word study or connected text.

Evaluation for 4.D.3d
Student practice includes only morphemes that have been explicitly taught.

While reading The Perfect Beak in The Reading Minilessons Book, Grade 2 lesson RML 6, students examine the prefix dis- and the suffixes -ing and -ful to determine meaning and pronunciation by breaking apart words containing these affixes. Although the materials provide opportunities for students to engage with morphological analysis during reading, the lesson does not indicate whether these specific prefixes and suffixes were explicitly taught previously. Instead, students are expected to apply analysis of multiple affixes within connected text without clear evidence of prior explicit instruction or reinforcement.

Guided Reading Collection, Grade 2 includes opportunities for students to read and discuss words containing inflectional endings such as -ed, -ing, and -s in the Guided Reading lesson “Uh-Oh, Bernard!” However, the instructional materials do not clearly establish that the morphemes included in student practice were taught through explicit instruction prior to their application. For example, students encounter multiple inflectional endings in the text without prior instruction in these specific morphemes within the lesson sequence.

Evaluation for 5.1a
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction on specific vocabulary using multiple strategies for teaching word meaning (e.g., student-friendly definitions, synonyms and antonyms, examples and non-examples, categorization and classification, images).

The Interactive Read Aloud, Grade 2 materials do not provide sufficient explicit instruction on specific vocabulary using multiple strategies for determining word meaning. The Interactive Read-Aloud lesson “The Buggliest Bug” includes a single instance of specific vocabulary instruction among the multiple Interactive Read-Aloud lessons reviewed. The “Vocabulary” section of “Reread and Revisit the Text” provides a student-friendly definition for frilly: “A dress or a shirt can be frilly or plain,” and uses an acting-out strategy to teach applaud by prompting students, “They clapped their hands over and over to show that they liked what they saw. Let’s applaud like the judges did.” While this lesson uses more than one strategy to introduce word meanings, it is an isolated example.

The Guided Reading lesson “Barkley and Winston” identifies vocabulary that may be unfamiliar to students, but does not provide explicit vocabulary instruction or use three or more strategies to build word meaning. The “Vocabulary” section of the lesson card notes that the text includes “some words that appear in the vocabulary of mature language users (scampered, lovable, grumble),” “a wide variation of words used to assign dialogue (asked, admitted, ordered),” and “adverbs that describe action (quietly, suddenly, backward).” While the lesson identifies vocabulary that may require instructional attention, it does not provide guidance for educators to explicitly teach the meanings of these words or incorporate strategies such as student-friendly definitions, visuals, examples and non-examples, acting out, semantic mapping, or opportunities for students to apply and revisit the vocabulary. The lesson references the vocabulary only as a characteristic of the text and does not include explicit instruction to develop students’ understanding of word meaning.

Evaluation for 5.1b
Specific vocabulary selected for explicit (direct) instruction includes high-utility tier 2 and tier 3 academic vocabulary.

The Interactive Read-Aloud lesson “The Treasure” identifies tier 2 vocabulary words including journey, wandered, and poverty, as well as the tier 3 vocabulary word folktale. However, the lesson does not provide explicit instruction to teach the meanings of these words. For example, in the “Vocabulary” section, the educator explains, “This story is a folktale. Folktales are stories that have been told and retold over many years.” The lesson also directs the educator to reread a page and ask, “When Isaac travels from his house to the palace and then back home, Uri Shulevitz says that he went on a journey. During his journey, he walks and sometimes he is given a ride. What does it mean to go on a journey?” Although students discuss the word journey and are provided a definition of folktale, the materials do not include explicit instruction to fully develop students’ understanding of these high-utility tier 2 and tier 3 vocabulary words.

Materials in the Guided Reading lesson “Tadpole in a Tree” do not include explicit instruction for selected tier 2 and tier 3 academic vocabulary. In the “Book Characteristics” section, the lesson identifies vocabulary from the text, including sprays, hatch, and tadpoles. While these words include tier 2 and tier 3 academic vocabulary, the lesson does not provide guidance for educators to explicitly teach their meanings before or during reading. Instead, the vocabulary is listed only as part of the text analysis without instructional routines or strategies to develop students’ understanding.

Evaluation for 5.1c
Materials include repeated opportunities for students to practice using specific vocabulary in multiple contexts.

Reading Mini Lessons, Grade 2 includes instruction on vocabulary related to text features, but does not include repeated opportunities for students to practice using the vocabulary in multiple contexts. In lesson LA.U17.RML 1, the educator explicitly introduces the concept of a heading in nonfiction texts and models its use with multiple books to show students how headings support reading comprehension. Students then examine another text with headings and discuss with a partner what the heading is and why it is helpful. Although this lesson provides initial instruction and guided practice with the term headings, students have limited opportunities to actively use the vocabulary themselves. The materials do not include repeated opportunities for students to revisit or apply the term headings across multiple contexts or lessons, nor do they provide a clear instructional sequence that spirals vocabulary practice over time.

While the Guided Reading lessons identify vocabulary words, the materials do not include repeated opportunities for students to practice using specific tier 2 and tier 3 vocabulary in multiple contexts. For example, in the Guided Reading book My Pet Dragon, the lesson identifies vocabulary from the text, including flames, crickets, lizard, scaly, and bearded. These words represent tier 2 and tier 3 vocabulary. However, the materials do not provide explicit instruction in their meanings or instructional routines to reinforce the words before or during reading. Instead, the vocabulary is only listed in the lesson without embedded supports such as student-friendly definitions, examples, or other meaning-making strategies. Furthermore, neither the “Teaching Point” nor the “Writing About Reading” section provides opportunities for students to practice using these words in speaking or writing. Students are not provided repeated opportunities to engage with or apply the vocabulary in multiple contexts, and the words are not revisited or reinforced through a clear instructional sequence.

Evaluation for 5.2a
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction on using morphemic analysis to determine word meaning in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

Lesson WS 28 in Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade 2 provides limited instruction in morphemic analysis. For example, students use magnetic letters to build words including happy, do, tie, and appear, adding prefixes un-, re-, and dis- to form the words unhappy, redo, untie, and disappear. The educator guides students in manipulating prefixes and discussing how words change, focusing primarily on word construction rather than explicit instruction in using morphemic analysis to determine word meaning. For example, while the educator asks students how prefixes change meaning, they do not directly teach students to independently apply morphemic analysis to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words. While students observe how prefixes alter meaning in context, the lesson does not include explicit modeling or structured opportunities for students to use morphemic analysis to derive word meanings on their own.

In the Guided Reading, Grade 2 materials, the lesson for the book Sea Turtle Farm includes some instruction on morphemes and analyzing morphemes to determine word meaning. In the “Word Work” section, students use magnetic letters to build words with the suffix -er. The materials state, “Add the suffix -er to the end of a base word to name a person or thing that does something,” providing examples including educator and worker. The educator then works with the students to name words with the suffix -er. Next, the guidance states, “Reinforce the principle: Add the suffix -er, -or, -ar, or -ist to the end of a base word to name a person or thing that does something.” While this lesson supports students learning the suffix -er with some educator modeling, it does not include explicit instruction on using morphemic analysis to determine word meaning, as there is not a gradual release, nor are there opportunities for feedback or ongoing practice,

Evaluation for 5.2b
Materials include opportunities for students to practice using morphemic analysis to determine word meaning in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The materials provide limited opportunities for students to practice morphemic analysis to determine the meanings of newly acquired words. For example, in the Guided Reading lesson for the book Sea Turtle Farm, the educator uses magnetic letters to build words and add the suffix -er. For student practice, the materials state, “Have students name words with the suffix -er including writer and teacher. What other words can you think of with the suffix -er?” Next, “Repeat the routine with the word visitor; have students identify and show understanding of the root word visit and how the word changes when it becomes visitor.” While this lesson supports students in noticing the suffixes -er and -or and how they change word meaning, it does not provide sufficient opportunities for students to engage in morphemic analysis in a sustained or systematic way. Students are not consistently supported to identify morphemes, define the morphemes, and infer word meaning based on morphemic analysis across multiple opportunities.

In Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade 2, “Recognize and Use Plurals That Add -es to Words After Changing the Final f or fe to v,” the materials teach students to form plural nouns through a spelling pattern. For example, the lesson explains that for words ending in f or fe, change the f or fe to v and add -es to form plurals. Students analyze word pairs including leaf/leaves, life/lives, wife/wives, hoof/hooves, and wolf/wolves. While students identify base words and apply a morphological spelling pattern to form plurals, the practice focuses on word formation and spelling rather than using morphemic analysis to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words. Students do not analyze morphemes as a strategy for inferring word meaning or apply that strategy in authentic reading contexts. Consequently, the materials do not include opportunities for students to practice using morphemic analysis to determine word meaning in alignment with the grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program’s stated purpose.

Evaluation for 5.2c
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction on using contextual analysis to determine word meaning in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The Reading Minilessons Book, Grade 2, includes lesson RML 8, which introduces students to using information from the sentence, story, or elsewhere in the book to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words. The lesson uses the Shared Reading texts Smokey Bear: A True Story and Stone Soup: An Old Tale, posing questions such as “What clues on the page help you understand the meaning of this word?” as students analyze vocabulary words including whimper, whiff, and heal. Students record unfamiliar words, context clues, and inferred meanings in their readers’ notebooks. However, the lesson primarily guides students in identifying clues within the text rather than providing explicit instruction in multiple forms of contextual analysis, including using definitions, synonyms, antonyms, or examples to determine word meanings. While students engage in discussion and note-taking, the materials do not include explicit (direct) instruction on using contextual analysis to determine word meanings in alignment with grade-level expectations.

In the Guided Reading, Grade 2 lesson for The Case of the Stolen Smells, after students read the sentence “Miranda’s family was very poor, so she never had any money to buy anything from the fancy shop,” the educator asks, “What clues in the sentence tell you what poor means?” and then explains, “To be very poor is to not have any money. Miranda couldn’t buy anything.” While the lesson includes a brief prompt and educator explanation, it does not provide explicit (direct) instruction in multiple forms of contextual analysis or a structured instructional routine for determining word meaning. Instead, students respond to a single guiding question with limited scaffolding. Therefore, the materials do not include explicit instruction on contextual analysis to meet the criteria of this indicator in alignment with grade-level expectations.

Evaluation for 5.2d
Materials include opportunities for students to practice using contextual analysis to determine word meaning in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The Interactive Read-Aloud lesson “Bugs A to Z” includes opportunities for students to discuss vocabulary and use text features to support understanding. For example, during the rereading lesson, students discuss the word migrates and consult the glossary to confirm its meaning. Students also discuss the meaning of dung by connecting the sentence to the explanation “animal waste” using photographs. Although the lesson includes some support for understanding vocabulary, it relies heavily on glossary use and visual support rather than providing a gradual release of practice using contextual analysis to determine word meaning. Therefore, the lesson does not provide sufficient opportunities for students to independently apply contextual analysis in alignment with the grade-level TEKS.

The Reading Minilessons Book, Grade 2 lesson SAS.U2.RML 8 provides instruction on using contextual analysis to determine word meaning. However, the materials do not include opportunities for students to practice the skill beyond guided and partner work within the lesson. For example, in the “Minilesson” section, the educator models and guides students in determining word meaning using context from the page. In the “Have a Try” section, students work with a partner to determine the meaning of the word whiff using this strategy. However, the materials do not provide opportunities for students to apply contextual analysis independently or engage in repeated, structured practice across multiple lessons or texts. Therefore, the lesson does not include sufficient opportunities for students to independently practice the skill over time.

Evaluation for 6.1a
Materials include modeling of fluent reading (including rate, accuracy, and prosody).

Although the materials provide opportunities for students to read aloud, they do not consistently direct the educator to model fluent reading before students practice the skill. For example, in Shared Reading, Grade 2, the “Busy Beavers” lesson includes a fluency goal stating, “Read orally with integration of all dimensions of fluency: pausing, phrasing, word stress, intonation, and rate.” While this suggests attention to fluent reading, the materials do not include explicit educator prompts within the lesson to model all aspects of fluency, including accuracy.

Although the materials provide opportunities for students to read aloud, they do not consistently direct the educator to model fluent reading before students practice the skill. For example, in The Reading Minilessons Book, Grade 2, “Umbrella 3: Maintaining Fluency,” the educator models expression and phrasing through lessons including RML1, RML3, and RML6. While the lessons provide opportunities for modeled and guided reading focused on expression and phrasing, they do not include explicit educator modeling of reading rate or accuracy. Furthermore, the lessons provide broad demonstrations of prosody but do not explicitly teach why or how prosodic features contribute to fluent reading.

Evaluation for 6.1b
Materials include opportunities for students to practice reading fluency with word lists, phrases/sentences, and connected texts.

Although the materials include fluency activities, they do not provide practice across all three components. For example, The Reading Minilessons Book, Grade 2 SAS.U3.RML3 prompts educators to “Invite the children to practice reading words to sound like they are talking” and to “Choose a page to read from the book you read today. Read that page to your partner. Try to make your reading sound like you are talking.” While this lesson provides limited practice with connected text, the materials do not include explicitly designed word lists or sentence/phrase-level practice for fluency development.

While the materials include opportunities for students to practice reading fluency, the practice is not comprehensive across word lists, phrases/sentences, and connected texts. For example, in the Guided Reading lesson for the book Stay Away!, the “Reading the Text” section includes educator modeling of fluent reading with prosody, including the prompt “To help a student read with phrasing, tell her she needs to listen to her reading and make it sound good. ‘Listen to how I put my words together so it sounds like talking.’ Demonstrate and then prompt with ‘Put your words together so it sounds like talking.’” While this lesson provides guided practice with connected text during small-group reading, the materials do not include structured fluency practice using word lists or phrases/sentences, nor do they provide additional connected texts for repeated or varied practice.

Evaluation for 6.1c
Materials include opportunities for students to practice reading fluency with a variety of grade-level texts as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The materials include opportunities for students to practice reading fluency with various grade-level texts as appropriate for the program’s stated purpose. Sing a Song of Poetry provides a collection of grade-level poems designed to develop fluent, phrased reading. The stated goal is to “provide the opportunity to participate in fluent, phrased reading,” and students are encouraged to reread poems using appropriate phrasing, pauses, stress, and intonation to build fluency. The Guided Reading Collection, Grade 2 further provides opportunities for students to practice fluency with a wide variety of grade-level texts representing multiple genres including fiction, nonfiction, traditional literature, biography, and informational texts. Together, the poetry and guided reading components provide repeated opportunities for students to practice reading fluently across a diverse range of grade 2 texts.

Book Club materials provide students with a wide variety of grade-level texts across fiction and nonfiction genres. These include 32 titles, comprising approximately two dozen fiction texts representing fantasy, realistic fiction, and folktales, and nine nonfiction texts including expository and narrative formats. The materials provide opportunities for students to practice fluency with a broad range of grade-level texts appropriate for grade 2. Each text offers repeated opportunities for students to develop reading fluency, which consists of rate, accuracy, and prosody, across a diverse selection of grade-appropriate reading materials used during book club discussions.

Evaluation for 6.1d
Materials include a variety of texts at different levels of complexity.

The Guided Reading Collection provides grade 2 texts spanning levels E–P per the publisher’s leveling system. The collection includes a progression of texts with increasing complexity in syntax, vocabulary, and meaning. For example, An Airplane for a Pig is a level E book, and its “Analysis of Book Characteristics” notes a simple plot with problem and solution, familiar content, and simple dialogue assigned by said. In contrast, Very Unusual Plants is a level N book, and its “Analysis of Book Characteristics” notes content that goes beyond a student’s immediate experience, sentences that often begin with phrases or subordinate clauses, and frequent use of descriptive adjectives. Together, these examples demonstrate that the materials include texts at varying levels of complexity across grade 2 guided reading resources, supporting students’ exposure to increasingly complex syntax, vocabulary, and meaning.

The Independent Reading Collection includes 150 texts at varying levels of complexity ranging from level C to level S. The materials state that “Your classroom collection offers engaging texts of varying genres and levels of complexity so that all children will be able to find a book they can and want to read.” Within the collection, texts represent a variety of structures, including Butterfly or Moth?, which uses a compare/contrast structure, Electrical Wizard: How Nikola Tesla Lit Up the World, which uses a narrative chronological structure, and From Tadpole to Frog, which uses a cause/effect structure. Each progression in reading level reflects increased complexity in syntax, vocabulary, and knowledge demands. Together, these resources ensure students engage with a variety of high-quality texts at different levels of complexity aligned with the program’s stated purpose.

Evaluation for 6.1e
Materials include guidance for educators to provide feedback to students on reading fluency (including rate, accuracy, and prosody).

While the materials include an “Interactive Read-Aloud Recordkeeping Form” for tracking students’ behaviors during Interactive Read-Alouds, they do not include guidance for educators to provide feedback on students’ reading fluency, including rate, accuracy, and prosody. The observation form prompts educators to “Record behaviors such as responding, joining in when reading, making comments, using some of the language of the book, asking questions, and retelling the story.” These observations support monitoring student engagement and comprehension during Interactive Reading and do not direct educators to observe or document specific fluency behaviors such as reading rate, accuracy, phrasing, expression, or prosody. Furthermore, the materials do not provide guidance for using fluency observations to deliver targeted feedback that helps students improve their oral reading. As a result, the materials do not include sufficient guidance for educators to provide feedback on reading fluency based on student performance.

The Reading Minilessons Book, Grade 2 materials provide fluency lessons to support educator instruction and student practice, but do not include guidance for educators to provide feedback to students on reading fluency, including rate, accuracy, and prosody. For example, lesson SAS.U3.RML5 includes educator modeling and provides opportunities for students to practice fluent reading with attention to rate and prosody. However, the materials only instruct educators to “Provide time for students to practice fluent reading together” and do not include guidance for giving corrective or targeted feedback or supporting students who struggle with fluency. While the lesson supports modeling and practice, it does not include explicit direction for educators on how to respond to students’ fluency performance during or after reading. Consequently, the materials do not provide sufficient guidance for educators to provide feedback on reading fluency, including rate, accuracy, and prosody.

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 Shared Reading, Grade 2 materials include opportunities for students to read, discuss, and write about high-quality, grade-level, complex literary and informational texts that include authentic published works by recognized authors including Cynthia Rylant, Jane Yolen, and Audrey Wood, and the traditional tale The Little Red Hen. These texts expose students to a variety of text types, rich vocabulary, and increasingly complex sentence structures while engaging them in rereading, discussion, and written responses. Students analyze characters, settings, themes, and authors’ craft through texts that include descriptive language, cumulative story structures, dialogue, and traditional narrative patterns. For example, Henry and Mudge develops characterization and relationships through realistic fiction; Owl Moon uses vivid descriptive language and imagery to enhance visualization and comprehension; The Napping House demonstrates cumulative structure and repeated language to build understanding of sequence and story events, and The Little Red Hen explores themes of responsibility and cooperation through traditional literature. Together, these materials provide opportunities for students to engage with high-quality, grade-level, complex texts across multiple literary forms through reading, discussion, and writing.

The Guided Reading, Grade 2 materials provide students with opportunities to read, discuss, and respond in writing to high-quality, grade-level literary texts that increase in complexity, including authentic published texts across realistic fiction, fantasy, and narrative genres that expose students to increasingly complex vocabulary, sentence structures, and themes. During instruction, students participate in educator-facilitated discussions and close reading activities that emphasize comprehension, analysis, and strategic reading behaviors. Examples include “The King’s Bed,” in which students analyze character actions and story events; “Pearl to the Rescue,” which promotes inferential thinking through problem-solving situations; “A Door for Furball,” which develops understanding of character motivations and relationships; and “Uh-Oh, Bernard,” which requires students to interpret story events and characters’ responses. Through repeated opportunities to read, discuss, and write about increasingly complex literary texts, these activities support students’ development of comprehension and critical thinking using high-quality, grade-level reading selections.

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

The Shared Reading, Grade 2 materials include high-quality texts at various levels of complexity representing multiple literary and informational genres. Students engage with authentic published texts through reading, discussion, and writing as they analyze ideas, text structures, and authors’ craft. Examples include The Amazing Seahorse, an informational text that presents scientific concepts through expository text structures, discipline-specific vocabulary, and text features including photographs, captions, and labels that require students to synthesize information across the page. Scout, the Chicken Guard blends realistic and fantasy elements through dialogue, rich illustrations, and increasingly complex sentence structures that support analysis of character motivations and theme. Jackal and Lion: An African Folktale introduces a culturally significant traditional tale presented as a Readers’ Theater script, requiring students to navigate narrator and character roles, dialogue, varied punctuation, and a nontraditional narrative format while interpreting the cultural lesson and character motivations. Across the collection, students encounter texts that vary in genre, vocabulary, syntax, text structure, and knowledge demands, providing meaningful opportunities to engage with high-quality texts at different levels of complexity.

The Interactive Read-Aloud, Grade 2 materials provide students with opportunities to engage with high-quality texts that represent a range of genres, settings, themes, and text structures. Through educator-led discussions, close analysis, and writing activities, students examine the author’s craft, character development, and theme while responding to increasingly complex texts. Examples include “First Come the Zebra,” during which the educator builds background knowledge by explaining, “The story takes place on the grasslands of Africa in a country called Kenya,” and asking, “Do you think the boys will become friends when they meet on the grasslands?” as students analyze friendship, cultural differences, and cooperation in an unfamiliar setting. The “Super-Completely and Totally the Messiest!” Interactive Read-Aloud develops comprehension through familiar experiences as students use the title and illustrations to make predictions, compare characters, infer the author’s message, and extend their thinking through shared and independent writing. “Wanda’s Roses” engages students in analyzing character development and themes of perseverance and community by responding to questions including “Why do you think Wanda’s heart beats faster after seeing the bush?” and “How did the neighbors solve the problem?” Across the collection, students encounter texts that vary in setting, themes, vocabulary, text structures, and knowledge demands, providing meaningful opportunities to analyze, discuss, and write about high-quality literary texts in familiar and unfamiliar contexts.

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

The Shared Reading, Grade 2 activities include texts that are relevant, engaging, and authentically reflect diverse cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives. The lessons intentionally incorporate traditional literature from multiple cultures, providing students with opportunities to explore values, customs, and ways of thinking from around the world while making connections to their own experiences. Example lessons include “The Blind Men and the “Elephant: A Tale from India,” which introduces an Indian folktale that promotes cooperation and understanding multiple perspectives as students discuss descriptive language and the importance of considering others’ ideas. “Bananas, Bananas,” based on a Philippine folktale, engages students in analyzing themes of generosity, planning ahead, and sharing while connecting the story’s message to their own lives through an interactive Readers’ Theater format. In addition, the book Watch Out, Rabbit!, an Indonesian folktale, exposes students to Southeast Asian storytelling traditions through the familiar trickster genre as they analyze character actions, compare perspectives, and discuss the lesson conveyed through the story. Together, these culturally diverse texts provide authentic opportunities for students to engage with stories that broaden their understanding of different backgrounds, traditions, and perspectives while fostering respect for cultural diversity.

The Interactive Read-Aloud, Grade 2 materials include content that is relevant, engaging, and authentically reflects students’ diverse backgrounds, cultures, languages, and family experiences. The lessons provide meaningful opportunities for students to explore various cultural perspectives while making personal connections to themes that are familiar and significant to their own lives. Examples include “Mango, Abuela, and Me,” which portrays a bilingual Latino family as students examine language, belonging, and intergenerational relationships through authentic Spanish vocabulary and cultural experiences. “Roses for Gita” explores immigration, friendship, and preserving family traditions as students consider how people adapt to new places and connect Gita’s experiences to their own. “The Empty Pot” introduces a traditional Chinese folktale that highlights honesty, courage, and integrity while exposing students to Chinese culture through its setting, traditions, illustrations, and customs and encouraging comparisons to their own experiences. Together, these texts provide authentic representations of diverse cultures, languages, and family experiences while fostering empathy, personal connections, and an appreciation for multiple perspectives.

Evaluation for 8.2a
Materials activate or supply background knowledge.

The Shared Reading, Grade 2 materials include opportunities to activate and build students’ background knowledge to support comprehension before and during reading. Prior to reading Paws and Claws, students engage in discussions that connect the text to their existing knowledge while introducing key concepts and vocabulary needed for understanding. Students discuss what they already know about paws and claws, compare animal paws to human hands and fingernails, consider how people use their own hands, and share observations about how animals use their paws and claws. The lesson also builds background knowledge by explaining the difference between paws and claws and introducing the text as nonfiction and the features of nonfiction.

The Guided Reading, Grade 2 materials include opportunities to activate and build students’ background knowledge before and during reading to support comprehension. Before reading Furball on the Roof, the lesson engages students in discussions that connect the text to their own experiences by asking whether they have a pet cat and discussing what cats like to do. Students preview the cover, examine illustrations, and anticipate the family’s attempts to rescue Furball before independently reading the text. These planned opportunities help students connect their prior knowledge to the characters, events, and problem in the story while preparing them to understand the sequence of events. The lesson also supplies background knowledge through embedded instructional supports.

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

The Guided Reading, Grade 2 materials do not consistently provide pre-teaching of unfamiliar vocabulary before students engage with a text. The lesson “Bear’s Itch” briefly prompts students during the text introduction to say or discuss words including rubbed and pigpen. However, the lesson does not provide explicit vocabulary instruction through student-friendly definitions, examples, visuals, semantic mapping, or other routines that build word meaning before reading. Although “Supporting English Learners” guidance recommends demonstrating or pointing to words including itch, scratch, rolled, and rubbed but does not present these supports as intentional pre-teaching of vocabulary before students encounter the text. Furthermore, the warm-up activity focuses on the phonics pattern -ed and past-tense verbs rather than preparing students with vocabulary knowledge needed to support comprehension. As a result, the materials do not include sufficient opportunities for students to receive explicit instruction on unfamiliar vocabulary prior to reading.

The Interactive Read-Aloud, Grade 2 materials do not consistently provide explicit pre-teaching of unfamiliar vocabulary before students engage with a text. For example, in the lesson “Strega Nona”, students build background knowledge during the “Introduce the Text” section by discussing whether they have visited Italy, locating Italy on a map, and making predictions about the story; however, the lesson does not include a planned vocabulary preview or instruction on potentially unfamiliar words including strega, nonna, Calabria, and potions before reading begins. Although “Supporting English Learners” notes prompt educators to clarify selected words and concepts as needed, these supports occur during instruction rather than as intentional pre-teaching of vocabulary prior to reading. The lesson discusses the Italian word grazie and the author’s use of other Italian words during the “Reread and Revisit the Text” section after students have already encountered the vocabulary in the story. The materials do not include systematic pre-teaching of unfamiliar vocabulary before reading to support students’ comprehension of the text.

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 Interactive Read-Aloud, Grade 2 materials do not include explicit instruction on using contextual analysis to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. In the lesson “Why the Sky Is Far Away,” students engage in discussions about vocabulary words including respect, grow, tilled, land, planted, crops, and harvested. However, the lesson does not provide direct instruction on how to use context clues to determine word meanings. The materials do not include educator modeling of identifying clues within the sentence or text, explanations of how surrounding words and details support meaning, or guided practice applying contextual analysis as a vocabulary strategy. Although students discuss vocabulary from the text, they are not explicitly taught how to use contextual information to independently determine the meanings of unfamiliar words.

The Guided Reading, Grade 2 materials do not include explicit instruction on using contextual analysis to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. In the lesson “The Lost Shoes,” students apply decoding strategies including using the first letter, known word parts, and contractions, and educators are provided guidance to clarify potentially unfamiliar words for emergent bilingual students. However, the lesson does not provide direct instruction on how to use contextual analysis as a strategy for determining word meaning of the vocabulary words slippers and sole. It does not teach students to identify context clues within surrounding words, sentences, or illustrations, nor does it include educator modeling or guided practice in applying contextual analysis to infer the meanings of unfamiliar vocabulary. Instead, vocabulary support focuses primarily on educator clarification rather than explicit instruction in using context to determine word meaning.

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.

Interactive Read-Aloud, Grade 2 materials do not include opportunities for students to practice using contextual analysis to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. In the lesson “Tops and Bottoms,” students discuss vocabulary words including lazy and hare through educator-led questioning and explanations. However, students have no opportunities to apply contextual analysis as a strategy for determining word meaning. The lesson does not require students to use surrounding words, phrases, sentences, illustrations, or other context clues from the text to independently infer meanings of unfamiliar vocabulary. Instead, vocabulary instruction relies primarily on educator explanation rather than structured practice using contextual analysis.

Shared Reading, Grade 2 materials do not provide sufficient opportunities for students to practice using contextual analysis to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. In the lesson “Surprises on the Savanna,” students discuss vocabulary words including roam, plain, predators, grasses, herds, stripes, and watering hole, and the educator provides explanations and clarification to support understanding. However, students do not have structured opportunities to apply contextual analysis by using surrounding words, phrases, sentences, or other text clues to independently determine word meanings. The lesson relies primarily on educator explanation and discussion rather than student tasks that require identifying context clues, justifying word meanings using text evidence, or explaining how context supports their inferences.

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 Interactive Read-Aloud, Grade 2 materials do not include systematic instruction on reading comprehension skills across multiple levels of comprehension, including literal, inferential, and evaluative understanding. In the lesson “Hooway for Wodney Wat,” students engage in discussions about story events, characters, and the author’s message through educator-led questions in the “Read the Text,” “Discuss the Text,” and “Reread and Revisit the Text” sections. Students respond to questions including “What is Wodney’s problem at school?” “How is Wodney’s problem solved?” and “What do you notice in this illustration that helps you understand what Camilla has done?” While these questions provide opportunities for students to recall details and make inferences, the lesson does not include explicit instruction that models comprehension strategies or teaches students how to approach different types of comprehension tasks. Instead, students respond to questions without a systematic, sequenced routine that develops comprehension skills across literal, inferential, and evaluative levels.

The Guided Reading, Grade 2 materials do not include systematic instruction on reading comprehension skills across multiple levels of comprehension, including literal, inferential, and evaluative understanding. In the lesson “Dirty Bella,” students respond to questions about characters, story events, and the author’s message during the “Discussing and Revisiting the Text” section. Students respond to prompts such as “Which character changed?” “How did she change?” and “Talk about the lesson, or message, the writer wants you to think about.” The lesson also provides “Thinking Within the Text,” “Thinking Beyond the Text,” and “Thinking About the Text” prompts to support discussion. However, the materials do not consistently provide explicit instruction that models how to apply comprehension strategies before students respond. Rather than providing a sequenced instructional routine with direct teaching and guided practice of literal, inferential, and evaluative comprehension skills, the lesson primarily presents questions that require students to demonstrate understanding independently.

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 Guided Reading, Grade 2 materials provide opportunities for students to practice reading comprehension skills across multiple levels, including literal, inferential, and evaluative comprehension, through engagement with grade-level texts. In the lesson “The Stuck Kite,” students interact with a literary text and respond to questions that require them to demonstrate understanding of story events, characters, and author’s craft. During the “Introducing the Text” section, students activate prior knowledge and make predictions about what might happen when Foxy’s kite becomes stuck and whether her ideas will solve the problem. During the “Discussing and Revisiting the Text” section, students answer literal questions about the sequence of events, the problem, and the solution, including “How did Foxy solve her problem but make another problem for herself?” Students also respond to inferential questions such as “What do Foxy’s words and actions tell you about her as a character?”, which require them to analyze character traits, feelings, and motivations using evidence from the text and illustrations and provide evidence to support their thinking. Additionally, students engage in evaluative thinking by determining the lesson of the story and analyzing how the author creates humor and surprise. The optional “Writing About Reading” activity further extends comprehension by asking students to evaluate Foxy’s problem-solving and support their opinions with evidence from the text. These opportunities provide students with structured practice applying comprehension skills at literal, inferential, and evaluative levels while engaging with a grade-level literary text.

Interactive Read-Aloud, Grade 2 materials provide opportunities for students to practice reading comprehension skills across multiple levels, including literal, inferential, and evaluative comprehension, through engagement with grade-level texts. In the lesson “Listen Buddy,” students engage with a literary text and respond to questions that require them to analyze story events, characters, and author’s purpose throughout the lesson. Students practice literal comprehension by identifying why Buddy gets into trouble and recalling important events from the story. Students also develop inferential comprehension by responding to questions such as “Why do you think Helen Lester decided to tell this story?” and “Why do you think Buddy’s parents trust him again?” Additionally, students engage in evaluative thinking by discussing questions including “What lesson does Helen Lester want you to learn from reading this book?” and “How does knowing that Helen Lester wrote funny books help you understand this story?” During the “Reread and Revisit the Text” section, students continue to build comprehension by analyzing illustrations, discussing word meanings in context, and examining how text features contribute to meaning. These opportunities provide students with practice applying comprehension skills at literal, inferential, and evaluative levels while engaging with a grade-level literary text.