Fountas & Pinnell Classroom (FPC), Kindergarten

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 document titled “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, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K 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, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K, the section “Fitting It All Together” 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.

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The online digital resources include a 180-day plan that explicitly details daily lesson sequences across various program components. However, it does not provide educators 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.

Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K includes 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’ workshops, and writers’ workshops. The document uses clock icons to illustrate recommended instructional minutes for each component and context across the 180-day sequence.

In Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K, the section “Fitting It All Together” 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 Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study, 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 (1) “define your vision and values;” (2) “set goals;” (3) “get to know the Fountas & Pinnell Classroom system;” and (4) “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 caregiver letters 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 learning throughout the program.

The guided reading materials provide caregiver letters that explain the program to parents in numerous languages. However, the supports do not provide specific suggestions to support student progress.

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

The grade K 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, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K also contains quick, formative observational assessments within each lesson to assess student understanding. However, the materials do not include summative assessments.

Interactive Read-Aloud, Grade K includes an assessment section in each read-aloud lesson. 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 Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K. This overview 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 includes 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.

A general purpose of Fountas & Pinnell Classroom Interactive Read-Aloud Collection, Grade K is to “gain important information by observing children as they participate in interactive read-aloud discussions.” However, the materials do not explicitly identify whether the various assessments are 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.

Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K provides guidance for the consistent and accurate administration of instructional assessments. The section “How to Use It” 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 K provides guidance for educators to administer formative assessments. For example, these materials provide educators with observational guiding questions.

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

While Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K 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.” The assessments do not provide guidance for which words to use to ensure variety in complexity.

While The Reading Minilessons Book, Grade K includes some oral assessments, it does 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 different questions the educator can ask or observe the students when they 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 Book, Grade K, Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K, Interactive Read-Aloud, Grade K, and Shared Reading, Grade K provide general formative assessments through an optional assessment section with educator prompts. For example, in the Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K, lesson PA 1 “Hear and Say Rhyming Words,” the assessment instructs educators to “notice if the children are able to match pictures with rhyming names.” It provides no guidance on interpreting those student responses and/or student performance.

In Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K, there are assessments for spelling patterns that provide resources and information for giving the assessment, but there is no guidance for scoring. It 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 K includes tracking sheets for educators to note whether students can demonstrate specific skills. However, there is no guidance and/or resources on how to score, track, and/or respond to the data or 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 K provides an “Assess the Learning” opportunity at the end of each lesson. However, the assessment is general and does not provide guidance on how to respond to student performance. For example, while the text encourages educators 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 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 include an independent reading recordkeeping form for educators. The form has spaces to record student names, days of the week, and comments. Though the program includes an independent reading tracking sheet for students to record books read during independent reading, this is just a single tool and does not track all literacy skill growth throughout the year.

The materials do not explain 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, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K, each lesson includes a section titled “Consider Your Children.” The section provides general guidance for educators on differentiating instruction. For example, Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K lesson PA 1 provides the guidance: “This lesson will be more successful if children learn the song as an oral activity first so they can feel the rhythm of the song and enjoy it.” The 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 K lesson “The Eensy-Weensy Spider,” the “Introduce the Text” section 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 Book, Grade K, Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K, Interactive Read-Aloud, Grade K, and Shared Reading, Grade K include an optional “Extend the Lesson” section with suggestions for activities to use with students. However, the section does not distinguish whether it provides guidance for differentiated instruction for students who have demonstrated proficiency in grade-level skills. For example, in Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K, lesson PA 1 states, “Have the children select pocket-chart picture cards of rhyming words to create variations of the song in the pocket chart.”

Shared Reading, Grade K includes an option for “Additional Teaching Opportunities During/After Reading” within a lesson. In the shared reading lesson “Stars,” it directs educators to “model how to say a word slowly and listen for the initial sound.” However, the guidance given to educators is generic, with no educator 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. However, the materials do prompt educators to “Consider Your Children” when planning phonics and word study lessons. For example, in Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K, lesson PA2 states, “Use this activity after children have experienced much shared reading of poems, chants, and songs. Through engagement with shared texts, children will become more sensitive to the sound of patterns of language.”

While the Fountas & Pinnell Classroom provides guidance about special features such as audiobooks that educators can use to support students before reading, during reading, and after reading, there is no 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 The Reading Minilessons Book, Grade K lesson LA.U1.RML1 “The Title Tells Us What the Book Is About,” the section “Summarize and Apply” prompts educators to ask, “What do you think your book will be about from looking at the title and front cover?” and to say, “Today you learned that the title of the book is on the front cover, and you can use it to help you think what the book will be about.”

The materials include explicit, direct prompts and guidance to support the educator in modeling and explaining the skill(s) to be learned. For example, in the Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K lesson LK 11 “Recognize Letters and State Their Names,” the “Teach” section includes a numbered list with modeled language and prompts as the lesson progresses. Number 2 in the list states, “Show the children a boxed set of letter books,” and number 4 states, “Show the second page of the book and point to the letter.”

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

The materials include guidance and recommendations for effective delivery and facilitation using a variety of instructional approaches. In Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K, the lesson “Recognize and Use High Frequency Words with Three or More Letters” prompts educators to “make the word from with magnetic letters.” Later, in the “Share” part of the lesson, the third bullet point states educators should “have the children read their list of words to a different partner.”

Shared Reading, Grade K includes educator-facing lesson plans for all lessons in the program. The “Introduction to New Material” lessons include “Warm-Up: Phonics, Introduce the Text, First Reading, Second Reading, Discussing (Within the Text, Beyond the Text, About the Text), Rereading the Text with Explicit Teaching, Responding to the Meaning of the Text, Independent Reading, Connecting to Other Books, and Assessment.” All of this provides educators with details on introducing a concept and modeling through direct instruction. The lessons also include a variety of instructional approaches such as educator modeling, students partnering with another student to practice a comprehension skill, and students independently applying the skill.

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

The Fountas & Pinnell Classroom provides educators with reading minilessons, shared reading, independent reading practice, and phonics, word study, and spelling practice. In The Reading Minilessons Book, Grade K, lesson LA.U7.RM7 prompts educators to “Turn and talk about what you notice about the words.” Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K facilitates hands-on activities such as card sorts and magnetic letters. In the “Apply” section of lesson LK 11, it states, “Have children use magnetic letters to make their names, using the fully written side of the name card as a model.”

The book club materials include guidance for educators on whole-group, small-group, and individual classroom structures to support effective implementation. For example, FPC Book Clubs Collection Guide, Grade K guides educators to “introduce the four titles from the text set to the whole class” before reading and notes that “some children may be able to read the text independently” during reading. The “After Reading” section 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 K includes a section before each lesson titled “Working with English Language Learners, which provides guidance on using strategies for emergent bilingual students but does not give differentiated guidance to support two or more levels of language proficiency as defined by the ELPS. For example, in lesson ELC 7 “Understand First and Last in Written Language: Letters and Words,” the material states to demonstrate the “meaning of the words first, last, letter, and word.” 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 section titled “Goals.” The materials state that the 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. Although 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.

Shared Reading, Grade K provides no guidance to support emergent bilingual students. While “Supporting English Learners” appears in the sidebar of each lesson, the advice is general and does not provide educator guidance in effectively using the materials. For example, in “Chicken Licken,” the educator is reminded to “check that children understand the concepts of fairy tales. Explain that animals talk and learn a lesson.”

The Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K Implementation Guide provides a general overview for working with emergent bilingual students in the section “What Are Some Ways of Working Effectively with English Language Learners.” The statements and strategies are general and do not offer any educator guidance or tools for effective classroom implementation for each lesson. For example, lesson LSR 6 offers, “It is useful for English language learners to learn to identify the vowels as a defined set of letters so that they will give them more attention in reading and spelling.” However, it provides no resources or assistance for 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 in The Reading Minilessons Book, Grade K, lesson SAS.U1.RML3, which states, “Read the sentence again and get your mouth ready for the first sound.” In the “Minilesson” section, the educator covers the words window and doors with a sticky note, leaving only the initial letter visible. The educator then says, “Look at the illustration,” while students view a picture of a window. This instructional prompt encourages students to use picture cues and the first letter to identify the word rather than relying on decoding the complete word.

In The Reading Minilessons Book, Grade K, three-cueing is present in the grade K reading minilesson titled “Look at the Picture and Think What Would Make Sense.” The stated goal of the lesson is to “Use illustrations [meaning] to solve words while reading a text.” During the lesson, the educator uses visual cueing to prompt students to identify the word down when looking at a picture of a kangaroo hopping up and down on the page. This reflects three-cueing because the educator prompts students to use the illustration to identify the word rather than directing them to analyze the word’s letters and sounds.

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.

Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K includes a systematic sequence of phonological awareness skills that are appropriate for the program’s stated purpose, but they are not aligned to grade‑level TEKS. The sequence progresses from larger units of sound to smaller, more complex skills. The table of contents lists 26 phonological awareness lessons beginning with lesson 1 “Hear and Say Rhyming Words,” moving through phoneme‑level lessons, such as lesson 5 “Hear and Generate Rhyming Words,” and concluding with lesson 26 “Delete the Beginning Phoneme of a Word.” However, deleting phonemes does not align with grade-level expectations.

In Shared Reading, Grade K, the individual lessons include a warm-up for phonological awareness. The materials provide a phonological awareness goal for each individual lesson. For example, in the lesson “Slip and Slide,” the phonological awareness goal states, “Divide sentences into words.” However, the materials do not include a systematic sequence of phonological awareness skills.

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).

Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K includes a systematic sequence of phonemic awareness skills that are appropriate for the program’s stated purpose, but they are not aligned to grade‑level TEKS. The sequence progresses from basic skills to more complex skills. The table of contents lists eight letter-sound relationship lessons beginning with lesson 1 “Recognize and Use Beginning Consonant Sounds and the Letters That Represent Them,” and concluding with lesson 8 “Recognize and Use Ending Consonant Sounds and the Letters That Represent Them.” However, the materials include phonemic awareness skills that do not align with grade-level expectations, such as deleting phonemes.

While some Shared Reading, Grade K lessons include phonological awareness activities, the materials do not provide comprehensive instruction aligned to all grade K phonemic awareness TEKS. For example, the shared reading lesson “The Log” includes an activity in which students clap to notice syllables in words. However, the materials do not demonstrate a clearly defined scope and sequence that systematically develops phonemic awareness skills from less complex to more advanced skills, aligned with grade K expectations. The activities are isolated within individual lessons rather than organized within a coherent progression that builds mastery of all grade K phonemic awareness 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 K provides instruction when educators introduce phonological and phonemic awareness skills. For example, in PA 17, a phonological awareness lesson on hearing and saying the middle phoneme in a three-phoneme word, the educator models identifying and saying the beginning and ending sounds of the word cat and then identifies and says the middle short sound /a/. The educator then places a picture card for the word pig on a pocket chart and repeats the same procedure with the words van and lid. The process repeats with picture cards for pan and map as keywords for the medial short sounds /a/ and /i/. A sidebar references the page for the instructional procedure “Hear and Say” and instructs educators to use that routine throughout the lesson. However, the lessons do not align with the grade K TEKS and fail to include explicit instruction in alliteration.

Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K provides instruction when educators first present phonological and phonemic awareness skills. For example, in a phonological awareness lesson on hearing and saying the middle phoneme in a three-phoneme word, the educator models identifying and saying the beginning and ending sounds of the word hat, and then identifies and says the middle short sound /a/. The educator places a picture card for the word hat on a pocket chart and repeats the procedure with the words map and bag. The educator then repeats the process with picture cards for bed and sun as keywords for the medial short vowel sounds /e/ and /u/. A sidebar directs the educator to the instructional procedure “Hear and Say” and instructs them to use that routine throughout the lesson. However, the lessons do not align with the grade K TEKS and fail to include explicit instruction in alliteration.

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.

While the materials provide opportunities for students to apply their skills, the materials do not provide explicit cumulative review or practice of phonological or phonemic awareness skills. For example, in Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K, lesson LSR 2 prompts educators: “Invite children to choose a picture card, say the word, find the consonant letter that represents the sound at the beginning of that word, and place or glue the matching picture card and letter card on the sort.” However, the lesson does not include a cumulative review or practice of phonological or phonemic awareness skills.

In Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study, Grade K, each lesson includes opportunities for students to apply their thinking, share their learning, extend their learning, connect across other contexts, and extend to home. For example, the lesson LSR 1 has educators teaching and modeling how some letters represent consonant sounds. Students then practice by finding consonant letters in the book or on the “Alphabet Linking Chart.” The materials then provide students with opportunities to practice using these combinations through interactive read-aloud, shared reading, interactive writing, and independent writing. This provides students with the opportunity to practice these skills. However, the educator introduces skills in isolation, and there are no structured opportunities for students to apply or review earlier skills alongside newly introduced ones, as required for cumulative practice.

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

Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study, Grade K only provides practice tasks for skills that students have been directly taught. The materials follow a Teach, Apply, Share, Assess (TASA) structure for each phonics lesson. For example, in lesson PA 10 “Hear and Say the Same Beginning Phoneme in Words,” the “Teach” section directs educators to “Explain to the children that they are going to learn more about beginning sounds in words. Have ready picture cards representing words that begin with /m/ and others that have contrasting beginning sounds.” The “Apply” section then has students repeat the “Teach” activity using a simple sorting sheet. This activity provides parallel practice aligned with the educator’s modeling in the “Teach” portion of the lesson.

The materials include opportunities for students to practice skills that have been explicitly taught. In Phonics, Word Study, and Spelling Grade K, lesson PA 24 “Blend Three or Four Phonemes in a Word” explicitly teaches students to listen to individual sounds in words using picture cards in a pocket chart and blend them to form words such as bed, fox, and milk. In the “Apply” section, students play a game called Lotto, placing coins or markers on pictures in a three-by-three grid after blending the individual sounds in a word the educator says slowly. This activity provides parallel practice aligned with the educator’s modeling in the “Teach” portion of the lesson.

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 systematic sequence for introducing sound–spelling patterns, as outlined in Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K. Educators introduce skills in a predictable progression that moves from consonants and short-vowel patterns to more complex spelling features. However, the sequence does not fully align with grade-level TEKS. The master lesson guide chart included in the materials does not provide instruction on CCVC word patterns. While the sequence is systematic, it does not address all grade-level phonics expectations outlined in the TEKS.

The materials include a systematic sequence for introducing sound–spelling patterns, as outlined in Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K. Educators introduce skills in a predictable progression that moves from recognizing and using the CVC pattern in lesson 1 to more complex spelling features, such as recognizing and using phonograms with a VCe pattern, in lesson 6. However, the sequence is not aligned with grade‑level TEKS. According to the master lesson guide chart in this material, the sequence does not include instruction on CCVC, a required sound–spelling pattern at this grade level. Consequently, the sequence is systematic but does not address all TEKS‑aligned phonics expectations.

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 K includes 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. For example, in lesson 2 “Recognize and Use More Common Phonograms with a VC Pattern: -an,” the educator guides students to look for the -an pattern in a list of words, say the pattern, and name more words with the -an pattern that rhyme with the listed words. The guidance does not include manipulating the sound structure of -an words or breaking the words into individual sounds to support decoding and encoding.

Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K includes 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. For example, in lesson 4 “Recognize and Use More Common Phonograms with a VC Pattern: -ay,” the educator guides students to look for and read words with the -ay pattern from a list. Later the lesson prompts the educator to “Invite the children to say two or three more words that end with the spelling pattern.” The guidance does not include manipulating the sound structure of -ay words or breaking the words into individual sounds to support decoding and encoding.

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.

Shared Reading, Grade K provides isolated decoding and encoding practice but does not include cumulative decoding or encoding practice with previously taught sound–spelling patterns. The “Dictate‑Write‑Read” routine for the shared reading book The Itsy Bitsy Spider prompts the educator to have students write bug and rug by “writing one letter for each sound.” However, this activity is limited to only these two words and does not incorporate a cumulative review of previously taught encoding or decoding patterns.

In Guided Reading Collection Guide, Grade K, the lesson “Ice Skating” includes a “Phonics/Letter and Word Work section with isolated decoding and encoding practice. In the lesson, students identify the beginning sounds using the “Sound Boxes” routine and write the sentence “I can see a dog” in the “Dictate‑Write‑Read” activity. However, these tasks address only the words used in the lesson and do not incorporate previously taught sound–spelling patterns. The text is predictable rather than decodable and contains untaught patterns, including the words mouse, skate, and bear, preventing students from applying phonics skills cumulatively to decode connected text.

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

Guided Reading Collection Guide, Grade K provides a large collection of guided reading lessons that use pattern-based, non-decodable texts containing a variety of sound-spelling patterns not taught in Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K. 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.

Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K, Guided Reading Collection Guide, Grade K, and Shared Reading, Grade K all provide instruction in sound–spelling patterns. However, none develops the sound–spelling patterns in a clear progression. For example, in Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K, lesson SP 1 aims for students to “Recognize and use the CVC pattern,” but in Guided Reading Collection Guide, Grade K, the lesson “My Pet Rabbit” has students building the word give. The materials do not provide a scope and sequence that clearly explains which materials should be used before introducing certain guided reading books.

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 materials include seven high-frequency word lessons that introduce regular and irregular high-frequency words, educators do not teach these words in a systematic sequence, which is not aligned with grade-level TEKS. Specifically, in Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K, HFW lesson 1 advises educators to “Use the words provided in the lesson, or choose other words according to children’s experience and the level of their word knowledge.” The materials do not establish a defined sequence of high-frequency words for instruction and practice.

The materials do not demonstrate 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. The materials provide lists of 25, 50, and 100 high-frequency words for use with pocket chart cards. However, the evidence does not establish a clear progression of high-frequency word instruction across the grade, nor does it cite a research-based list. For example, the words are grouped into 15 sets without instructional rationale, and many appear before educators have introduced the phonics needed to decode them. The materials do not clearly articulate how educators should introduce, review, and 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, in Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K, HFW lesson 1 “Recognize and Use High-Frequency Words with One, Two, or Three Letters” prompts educators to place the words to, a, it, and me on the board. If children already know these words, educators should guide them to “Choose other one-, two-, and three-letter high-frequency words to practice and reinforce.” In the lesson, educators read the words, make them with magnetic letters, and write them. 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, the evidence does not demonstrate that students receive explicit instruction in encoding regular and irregular high-frequency words. For example, in Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K, HFW lesson 2 “Recognize and Use High-frequency Words with One, Two, or Three Letters” has educators explain to students that they will “look carefully at some of these words so that [they] can read them every time [they] see them.” Students then read, make, and write a list of high-frequency words. While the materials offer opportunities for students to encounter high-frequency words, this lesson does not provide explicit instruction in decoding or encoding them, instead relying 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 include a high-frequency word list. However, the list is not aligned with grade-level skills and is based on each child’s “reading experiences and their level of word knowledge.” The words are taught in isolation in seven lessons within Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K. For example, in Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K, HFW lesson 1 introduces the words to, a, it, me, and I. The words are not aligned to any overarching, specific phonics grade-level skills, and the lesson does not include cumulative practice of decoding or encoding high-frequency words.

The materials do not demonstrate cumulative student practice in encoding and decoding regular and irregular high-frequency words. In Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, Grade K, HFW lesson 1 includes a section titled “Connect Learning Across Contexts.” The section suggests high-frequency word practice during the interactive read-aloud of Fish Eyes by Lois Ehlert, but it does not use the specific words taught in HFW lesson 1. The “The Bus for Us” lesson prompts educators to “Reread a few sentences and have children listen for any easy high-frequency words.” The shared reading lesson “My Head” in Words That Sing, Kindergarten: 100 Poetry Charts for Shared Reading (2019), suggests, “Use highlighter tape to locate one-, two-, and three-letter high-frequency words after reading.” However, the instructional content does not demonstrate that students engage in cumulative practice that systematically revisits and reinforces previously taught high-frequency words over time. While students encounter high-frequency words through phonics lessons, interactive read-alouds, and shared reading, 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, Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study, Grade K provides an instructional strategy called “Word to Know.” The strategy has students read, make, and write high-frequency words on a chart. The strategy directs educators to show a “group of high-frequency words, reading each one while running your pointer finger under it, left to right.” The materials do not provide any guidance on which words to practice.

The materials provide opportunities for students to practice high-frequency words through seven lessons. However, the materials ask students to read and spell high-frequency words without first providing explicit instruction in how to decode or encode the words. For example, the high-frequency word lessons in Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study, Lessons, Grade K include an “Apply” section in which students practice the words introduced in the “Teach” portion of the lesson. In HFW lesson 1 “Recognize and Use High-Frequency Words with One, Two, or Three Letters,” the educator presents the high-frequency words to, a, it and me, and directs students to “Look carefully at some words so that you will know them every time you see them.” The educator then builds and writes each word. During the “Apply” section, students use magnetic letters to read, build, and write the same words. While the lesson provides opportunities for students to practice reading and spelling the words, it does not explain the sound–spelling patterns within the words, identify irregular letter-sound correspondences, or model a process for decoding the words before students practice them.

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.

This guidance is not applicable to the program because TEKS for the grade level do not list syllable types or 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.

This guidance statement is not applicable to the program because TEKS for the grade level do not list decoding and encoding one-syllable or multisyllabic words.

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.

This guidance is not applicable to the program because TEKS for the grade level do not list decoding and encoding one-syllable and multisyllabic words.

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

This guidance is not applicable to the program because TEKS for the grade level do not list syllable types or syllable division principles.

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.

The guidance is not applicable to the program because TEKS for the grade level do not list morphemes.

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.

This guidance is not applicable to the program because TEKS for the grade level do not list 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.

This guidance is not applicable to the program because TEKS for the grade level do not list morphological skills.

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

This guidance is not applicable to the program because TEKS for the grade level do not list morphemes.

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 Reading Minilessons Book, Grade K identifies “Academic Language/Important Vocabulary” for each lesson. The vocabulary instruction primarily focuses on identifying the words students need to know but lacks guidance on how to teach them in lessons. For example, in The Reading Minilessons Book, Grade K, lesson LA.U18.RM1 identifies the words illustrator, illustration, and author. The materials do not offer any explicit vocabulary instruction, such as using context clues. The materials do not incorporate additional research-based strategies, such as student-friendly explanations, visuals, examples, and non-examples, semantic mapping, contextualized discussions, or opportunities to connect new vocabulary to students’ prior knowledge.

The shared reading lesson for “The Dog Park” includes instruction on specific vocabulary but does not use three or more strategies to build word meaning. The lesson identifies the target vocabulary words sticky and felt and states the goal, “Understand the meaning of new words after reading and talking about them.” The lesson prompts the educator to provide student‑friendly explanations during the first reading of the text. The educator points out visual examples from photos and the book’s captions to clarify meaning and reinforce understanding. However, the lesson lacks explicit instruction for teaching the words.

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

In Interactive Read-Aloud, Grade K, the lesson “Wimberly Worried” identifies the tier 2 vocabulary words. However, the lesson does not provide explicit instruction to teach the meanings of these words. For example, in the section “Reread and Revisit the Text,” the “Vocabulary” component prompts the educator to reread a page and say, “The word throughout is a long word, but you can guess what it means by looking for clues in the other words. ‘Wimberly worries in the morning and at night and throughout the day.’ What do you think ‘throughout the day’ might mean?” The materials do not include explicit instruction to define the words, explain their meanings, or connect them to other texts.

In the guided reading lesson “Run!” the materials do not include tier 2 or tier 3 academic vocabulary. The lesson identifies a few unfamiliar words, such as running, that are easily understood in context. While the word running is connected to the text, it is not high-utility tier 2 or tier 3 vocabulary.

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

In Interactive Read-Aloud, Grade K, the lessons expose students to domain-specific vocabulary, such as illustrator, author, spider, and web, during guided discussion. For example, in the interactive read-aloud of “The Eensy-Weensy Spider,” students are prompted to discuss the spider’s actions and the illustrations during the read-aloud, reinforcing vocabulary through oral language practice. The educator also guides students in connecting the vocabulary words to the illustrations to support students’ understanding. However, these opportunities remain educator-directed and do not include repeated student practice using the vocabulary across multiple contexts.

While the guided reading lessons introduce vocabulary words, the materials do not include repeated opportunities for students to practice using specific vocabulary in multiple contexts. For example, in the shared reading lesson “In My Bag,” under the “Goals” section titled “Vocabulary and Language Development, the first bullet states, “Understand the meaning of words that are in one’s own oral vocabulary.” The lesson lists striped, spotted, and bumpy. Students are not provided multiple contexts in which to practice using these words. The words are not revisited in other texts or discussed beyond their initial introduction.

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.

This guidance is not applicable to the program because TEKS for the grade level do not list morphemic analysis.

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.

This guidance is not applicable to the program because TEKS for the grade level do not list morphemic analysis.

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.

In Interactive Read-Aloud, Grade K, the lesson “Lola at the Library” provides guided discussion of vocabulary rather than explicit instruction aligned to the grade-level TEKS. The lesson introduces the vocabulary words borrow and section in its “Reread and Revisit” portion. For example, in the “Vocabulary” section, the lesson states, “Lola borrows books from the library. What does it mean to borrow something? Discuss the difference between a library, where you borrow books and return them, and a bookstore, where you buy books to keep. What other types of things could you borrow besides books?” Although the educator engages students in discussing the meaning of borrow, the lesson does not provide explicit, direct instruction in using context to determine word meaning.

The materials do not include explicit instruction on using contextual analysis to determine word meaning in alignment with the grade K TEKS and the program’s stated purpose. For example, in Interactive Read-Aloud Grade K, the lesson for the book I Love You All Day Long instructs the educator to prompt students to use text and illustrations to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words. The educator guides students to infer that fly means “run quickly” rather than literal flight, and the educator prompts students to use clues to determine the meaning of soggy. For example, the script states, “His juice spills on the crackers. Look at the illustration for clues.” Students also use the illustration to determine the meanings of behind and slide when the script directs, “Look behind the swing for a clue.” Although the lesson includes educator-guided questioning, it does not provide explicit instruction on contextual analysis, using context clues, or modeling the strategy through a think-aloud. The materials include a limited script that does not provide explicit instructions for the strategy.

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.

In Interactive Read-Aloud, Grade K, the lesson “My Steps” identifies the “interesting words” stoop, shady, cool, and smooth for students to hear in the story. In the “Reread and Revisit the Text” section under “Vocabulary,” the educator uses the title page to introduce the word stoop, asking students, “Do you have a stoop in front of your house? Would it be fun to sit and play there?” The text suggests, “If children are unfamiliar with what a stoop is, use the internet to find some pictures of stoops in front of buildings in cities to help with comprehension.” Although this activity aligns with grade K TEKS by incorporating a resource to clarify word meaning, the educator models the strategy rather than providing opportunities for students to practice using contextual analysis themselves. In addition, the lesson does not include activities that require students to use context clues from the text or illustrations to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words independently.


In the Guided Reading Collection Guide, Grade K, lesson “The Art Show”, the overview identifies three concept words for students to know: clay, necklace, and puppet. During the introduction of the book The Art Show, the educator has students turn to a page to introduce the word clay. The lesson states, “If needed, point out the clay in the picture.” There is no discussion of the meaning of the word clay, nor is there any student practice using contextual analysis to determine its meaning. This lesson is not aligned with the grade-level TEKS because it does not address using a picture dictionary or digital resource, using illustrations and text that students can read or hear to learn or clarify word meanings, or identifying and using words that name actions, directions, positions, and so on. The materials do not provide subsequent lessons or structured practice activities in which students apply contextual analysis to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words across multiple texts, nor do they offer repeated opportunities to reinforce the skill over time.

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).

FPC Independent Reading Collection Guide, Grade K includes a classroom collection of “engaging texts of varying genres and levels of complexity so that all children will be able to find books they can and want to read.” The independent reading collection includes 150 titles, and “each book has been carefully selected to ensure that the collection is appropriate and engaging for grade K students and represents a diverse range of experiences, topics, perspectives, and cultures.” The titles include genres such as animal fantasy, expository, fantasy, narrative, realistic, fable, biography, folktale, and procedural. Some examples of titles included are Big Dog and Little Dog by Dav Pilkey, George and Marth: Rise and Shine by James Marshall, and Puppy Mudge Finds a Friend by Cynthia Rylant.

Shared Reading, Grade K includes opportunities to activate and build students’ background knowledge before and during reading to support comprehension. Prior to reading Up in the Cloud Forest, lessons engage students in discussions that connect the text to their existing knowledge while introducing key concepts and vocabulary needed for understanding. Students discuss the words cloud forest, spiny hummingbird, lizard, and sloth. The lesson also builds background knowledge by having students look at a photograph of a cloud forest. Additional emergent bilingual supports direct educators in monitoring students’ understanding of key vocabulary, including spectacled, spiny, and sloth.

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

Shared Reading, Grade K includes a variety of high-quality texts at different levels of complexity that represent 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 Itsy Bitsy Spider, a rhyming book, and The Stuck Truck that focuses on sight words and reading CVC words. 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.

Interactive Read-Aloud, Grade K provides 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 authors’ craft, character development, and theme while responding to increasingly complex texts. For example, The Bus for Us offers a simple, predictable narrative structure and familiar vocabulary appropriate for early readers, while Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes introduces more nuanced emotional concepts and slightly more complex sentence patterns. 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.

FPC Independent Reading Collection Guide, Grade K offers “engaging texts across genres and levels of complexity so that all children can find a book they can and want to read. A key factor in independent reading is choice. Children do not select books by level for independent reading but, rather, according to their personal interests.” The collection includes 150 titles and each book has been “carefully selected to ensure that the collection is appropriate and engaging for all grade K students and represents a diverse range of experiences, topics, perspectives, and cultures.” For example, the book The Yard Sale is about a diverse family of four who go to a yard sale to find items they can buy at a bargain and fix up for their use. The book At the Park also features diverse characters who visit a park and see many different things.

Interactive Read-Aloud, Grade K includes texts that are relevant, engaging, and authentically reflect students’ diverse backgrounds, cultures, languages, and family experiences. The lessons provide meaningful opportunities for students to explore a variety of cultural perspectives while making personal connections to themes that are familiar and significant to their own lives. For example, Do Like Kyla by Angela Johnson and Red Is a Dragon by Roseanne Thong offer a “global perspective, with diversity of characters, settings, themes, and topics.”

Evaluation for 8.2a
Materials activate or supply background knowledge.

Guided Reading Collection Guide, Grade K consistently prompts educators to activate and supply students’ background knowledge during the text introduction portion of each guided reading lesson. For example, before reading Face Painting, the educator facilitates an interactive discussion about what students know about face painting to activate prior knowledge of the new text. The lesson also has students share their experiences with the group and take a guided picture walk to see what other faces are painted in the story. By intentionally eliciting students’ prior experiences and supplying essential context before reading, the materials prepare students to better comprehend the text and support meaningful engagement throughout the lesson.

In Interactive Read-Aloud, Grade K, the lessons activate students’ background knowledge through educator-guided discussions that connect upcoming texts to students’ personal experiences and prior understanding. For example, before reading Jonathan and His Mommy by Irene Smalls, the lesson explicitly supports the activation of background knowledge through its “Summary” and “Messages” sections. The story centers on Jonathan and his mother as they explore their neighborhood and use their imagination to turn an ordinary walk into an adventure. This experience connects directly to children’s everyday lives. The “Goals” prompt students to use hand and body movements to show understanding of the steps Jonathan and his mom take and to notice playful or poetic language, which draws on familiar physical experiences and oral language patterns. These tasks encourage students to draw on prior experiences with familiar characters, emotions, and story structures. By intentionally connecting students’ prior knowledge and experiences to the text before reading, the materials strengthen comprehension and prepare students for deeper engagement with the text.

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

Shared Reading, Grade K does not provide instructional support for introducing vocabulary words prior to reading. For example, in the lesson “A Rainbow of Fruit,” the vocabulary goal is to “acquire new vocabulary from listening and use it in discussion,” but the text does not prompt educators to discuss specific vocabulary before students read the book. During the book’s introduction, the educator explains they will read a story about different colors and fruit. Students will see other children’s favorite colors and which fruit corresponds to each color. At the end of the lesson, in the section “Additional Teaching Opportunities,” bullet two states, “Point to the color band at the top of the page, and explain that these are the colors of a rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Explain that violet is similar to purple, and indigo is a color between blue and violet. Have children compare the colors in the rainbow of fruit to the colors of a rainbow.” The materials do not provide sufficient guidance for pre-teaching unfamiliar words before students encounter them in the text.

In Interactive Read-Aloud, Grade K, the lessons do not consistently pre-teach unfamiliar vocabulary before students engage with the text. For example, the lesson accompanying How to Hide a Butterfly does not include any specific guidance for pre-teaching unfamiliar vocabulary within the book. One of the stated goals of the lesson is that students will “use new vocabulary from the book in discussion,” but it neither points out specific words nor discusses specific words before students read the book. In the section of the lesson titled “Reread and Revisit the Text,” the “Vocabulary” component prompts the educator to reread a page and say, “Because the world is hostile, all creatures need protection. Protection keeps you safe. If you need protection in a hostile world, does that mean hostile means something good or bad? What do you think the word hostile means?”

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.

In Interactive Read-Aloud Lessons, Grade K, the lesson “I Love Our Earth” includes the goal that students should “use new vocabulary from the book in discussion,” but it neither identifies nor discusses specific words before students read the book. While there are tier 2 vocabulary words identified in the “About This Book” section, words such as ripple, drift, desert, and mosses, the educator never explicitly teaches or discusses these words with students. For example, in the lesson’s section “Reread and Revisit the Text,” the “Vocabulary” component prompts the educator to reread, “The photographs can help you understand what the words mean. What do you think you see in the large photograph? What do you see in the girl’s hair? What do you think a blossom is?” Although these words appear in the text, the lesson does not provide the educator with any modeling or direct instruction on how students can use surrounding words, phrases, or sentences to infer their meanings. Instead, students encounter the vocabulary without explicit strategies for contextual analysis, limiting opportunities to develop this grade-level vocabulary skill.

In Guided Reading Collection Guide, Grade K, guided reading lesson “My Big Pet (Level B),” the “Goals” state, “Understand words related to caring for a pet: bed, blanket, bone, collar, ball, bowl, and dinner.” While the materials provide some guidance and opportunities for word study, they do not include explicit instruction or guided practice in using surrounding text to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words.

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.

In Interactive Read-Aloud, Grade K, the lesson “Mary Wore Her Red Dress” includes extension opportunities in the “Respond to the Text” section, such as independent writing and art activities. However, the materials do not include opportunities for students to practice using contextual analysis to determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary in texts. For example, after rereading pages, the educator says, “Point to the bandana. What is a bandana, and how do you wear it? It is a piece of cloth you wear around your neck or on your head.” Then the educator says to talk about the expression “all day long”: “These words tell that something happened for a period of time. You could say ‘all night long,’ ‘all afternoon long,’ ‘all morning long,’ or ‘all week long.”’ Next, the lesson prompts the educator to “Invite children to use different ways to use the expression.” While these tasks extend students’ comprehension and response to the text, they do not provide opportunities for students to practice determining the meanings of unfamiliar words by analyzing surrounding words, phrases, or sentences.

In Shared Reading, Grade K, the lesson “The Cloud Forest” does not include opportunities for students to practice using contextual analysis to determine word meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary in texts in alignment with grade-level TEKS. Instead, the lesson relies on educator-provided definitions and graphic features to explain vocabulary, such as directly defining beetles, mantises, slugs, and grubs. Because students are given the meanings rather than prompted to infer them from the text, the lesson does not provide practice in contextual analysis.

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.

In FPC Independent Reading Collection Guide, Grade K, the lesson about airplanes includes conferring prompts that address literal, inferential, and evaluative comprehension in the sections “Thinking Within the Text,” “Thinking Beyond the Text,” and “Thinking About the Text.” However, the materials provide only general guidance on selecting questions based on students’ progress through the text and do not include a systematic sequence or explicit instruction in the comprehension skills needed to answer them.

In Interactive Read-Aloud Lessons, Grade K, the lesson “The Doorbell Rang” includes discussion questions that address literal, inferential, and evaluative comprehension, but the questions appear as a mixed list without a systematic instructional progression. The lesson moves between comprehension levels without explicit educator guidance on modeling. For example, the guidance states, “Stop a few times to invite thinking and a brief conversation. Children may turn and talk in pairs or threes.” Then the educator directs students to look at a page of the book while saying, “Sam and Victoria say they are starving. What does starving mean? Ma says she made plenty. Look at the illustration. What do you think plenty means?” and then “Look at Sam and Victoria. Are they ready to share with Tom and Hannah? How can you tell? What does Ma say to the children at the door? Each time she answers the door, say these words together.”

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.

FPC Independent Reading Collection Guide, Grade K provides students with opportunities to practice literal, inferential, and evaluative reading comprehension skills across a variety of grade-level literary and informational texts, including fiction, poetry, drama, and informational selections. Each text includes a conferring card with questions organized as “Thinking Within the Text,” “Thinking Beyond the Text,” and “Thinking About the Text.” These questions require students to recall explicit details, make inferences, and evaluate or analyze the text. For example, the conferring card for At the Zoo engages students in comprehension practice at multiple levels, supporting grade-level comprehension across diverse text types.

Interactive Read-Aloud, Grade K provides 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 “A Fruit Is a Suitcase for Seeds,” students engage with an informational text and respond to questions that require them to analyze it. Students practice literal comprehension by answering questions found in the text, such as “What does the girl put in the ground?” and “What is growing from the seed?” Students also develop inferential comprehension by responding to questions, such as “What might happen to the seeds when they reach a new home?” and “Do seeds really travel in a suitcase, as this illustration shows?” 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 text.