Fundations Level 2 Texas

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).

Fundations Level 2 materials state that the program is a supplemental foundational literacy resource intended for 30 minutes per day as part of tier one general education English Language Arts (ELA) instruction. It also supports small-group intervention through optional materials, indicating its use for both whole-class instruction and targeted student needs. The program provides systematic, explicit instruction in foundational skills, including phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, spelling, and handwriting. The materials also direct educators to pair the program with a comprehensive tier one literacy program to support reading comprehension and overall literacy development.

The Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2 states that the program is a supplemental, structured literacy curriculum grounded in the science of reading and designed to provide direct, systematic, explicit, sequential, and cumulative instruction in foundational literacy skills. The materials identify its instructional focus as decoding, encoding, handwriting, phonics, fluency, and word study to build a foundation for reading and spelling. While it addresses foundational skills as part of tier one instruction, it is intended to be used alongside a comprehensive language arts program to support full literacy development, including comprehension and vocabulary.

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.

Fundations Level 2 provides clear guidance for using the program as a supplemental resource within a comprehensive tier one English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) curriculum. The materials describe the program as a 30-minute daily instructional block that replaces the foundational skills portion of core reading instruction to avoid duplicating similar skills across programs. The materials also explain that Fundations supports both tier one instruction and intervention services and directs educators to implement it alongside a comprehensive language arts program that addresses comprehension, vocabulary, writing, and literature.

Fundations Level 2 provides clear guidance for using the program as a supplemental resource alongside a comprehensive ELAR curriculum. Fundations Level 2 describes the Fun in Focus Kit Level 2 as an optional small-group intervention tool for students who need targeted support, recommended for 30 minutes, five days per week, in addition to daily whole-class instruction. The materials identify the 30-minute standard lesson as the core foundational skills block and allow educators to provide additional intervention support as needed. The materials also emphasize that Fundations Level 2 complements, rather than replaces, a comprehensive language arts program by focusing specifically on foundational literacy skills.

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.

Fundations Level 2 includes a clearly defined scope and sequence that outlines student expectations, instructional pacing, and progression across 17 units. The materials specify end-of-level expectations, such as decoding words with short vowels, applying phonics and word analysis skills, and developing comprehension skills, including identifying central messages and describing character responses. The scope and sequence organizes instruction in a structured, sequential, and cumulative manner and explains that Fundations Level 2 builds on prior learning from earlier levels by progressing from basic to more complex word-structure skills. The materials demonstrate a systematic design intended to support skill development over time.

Fundations Level 2 provides a clearly defined scope and sequence that outlines student expectations, skills taught by unit, and instructional pacing across 17 units. While the scope and sequence section organizes skills and pacing, the “Principles of Instruction” section explains the rationale for this progression, describing instruction as sequential and cumulative, supporting mastery from simple to complex skills and built-in review across levels. The materials reinforce this rationale throughout the manual, including explanations of how explicit instruction supports student understanding.

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

Fundations Level 2 provides clear guidance on instructional time requirements and pacing for implementation. The program is described as a 30-minute daily explicit instruction block delivered as part of tier one ELA instruction for all students in the general education classroom. Additional guidance outlines a 30-minute daily lesson structure, including a targeted practice component to support skill reinforcement. The scope and sequence further supports pacing by organizing the 17 units with suggested timeframes ranging from one to three weeks per unit. The materials clearly define both daily instructional time and unit-level pacing expectations.

Fundations Level 2 provides clear guidance on instructional time requirements and pacing for effective implementation. The materials recommend 30 minutes per day, five days per week, for small-group or individual intervention, in addition to tier one instruction. The scope and sequence outlines pacing across 17 units, with instructional timeframes ranging from one to three weeks per unit. It also guides educators in adjusting instruction based on student mastery while maintaining consistent instructional frequency and duration.

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

Fundations Level 2 offers clear guidance and support to help educators implement instruction as intended. Educators prepare for instruction by reviewing the Learning Activity Overview, using Activity Cue Cards, and practicing the activity. At the same time, included activities, such as Echo/Find, provide detailed procedures, corrective feedback, differentiation strategies, and support for multilingual learners. The materials also offer additional guidance through FUN HUB, a digital platform that organizes instructional resources and supports data-informed planning. The materials include structured lesson-preparation steps, explicit instructional procedures, and supplemental resources to support consistent, effective implementation.

Fundations Level 2 provides clear and consistent guidance to support educators in implementing the program as designed. Educators review unit “Orientation” sections before instruction, use the Learning Activity Overview for preparation, and access FUN HUB for implementation support, classroom routines, and examples from other educators. The standard lesson structure is also clearly defined as a 30-minute daily block of explicit instruction with three to five student learning activities, ensuring consistent delivery across classrooms.

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

The Fundations Home Support Pack 2 provides clear guidance for families to reinforce classroom instruction at home and is available in both English and Spanish. In the opening family letters, families receive an overview of the program, weekly skill focus, and specific strategies to support learning, such as promoting oral language, encouraging “wonder” questions, and practicing foundational concepts like syllables. The materials also include guidance on handwriting and letter formation to ensure consistency between school and home practice. The Home Support Pack strengthens school-family communication by outlining skills students are learning and providing practical ways for families to support student learning.

The Fundations Home Support Pack 2 provides clear support for families in both English and Spanish to reinforce classroom literacy instruction at home. Families receive an overview of skills such as closed-syllable exceptions (e.g., /ild/ in child and /old/ in cold), along with structured practice activities, including sentence dictation, marking syllable exceptions, high-frequency trick word review, and handwriting practice. The materials also include guidance for educators on sending home orientation letters and unit-specific resources to help families understand and support instruction. The Home Support Pack provides structured, consistent guidance that enables families to reinforce foundational literacy skills outside of school.

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).

Fundations Level 2 includes comprehensive screening, diagnostic, progress-monitoring, and formative assessments designed to monitor student literacy growth and guide instructional decisions throughout the year. The Level 2 Assessment Pathway includes universal screeners, unit assessments, and ongoing progress-monitoring tools that assess student mastery, establish baseline performance, and support targeted interventions. Additionally, the Progress Monitoring Level 2 Teacher’s Guide explains that assessments are organized into beginning-, middle-, and end-of-year measures, including nonsense word fluency benchmarks, to track decoding development and evaluate student progress across the curriculum.

Fundations Level 2 includes appropriate instructional assessments designed to monitor student mastery and guide instructional decision-making within the supplemental literacy program. Progress-monitoring tools, Check-Ups, Fluency Kits, observational assessments, and biweekly unit tests align with the curriculum scope and sequence and assess foundational literacy skills such as segmenting, blending, encoding, and decoding. Additionally, the materials provide guidance for remediation when students do not meet the 80 percent mastery expectation, including tools such as the Unit Test Tracker and diagnostic recommendations to support targeted intervention and data-driven instruction.

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

Fundations Level 2 defines progress monitoring as a curriculum-based tool that measures student mastery of specific taught skills, such as phonics, decoding, and fluency, to support timely instructional decisions. The materials provide a comprehensive framework, including a detailed Assessment Frequency Chart and data management guidance, that helps educators build data-driven student profiles and adjust instruction for all learners, particularly those in tier two. By explicitly aligning assessments with the Fundations Level 2 curriculum in both the front matter and unit introductions, the program ensures that educators can accurately track growth and target interventions based on the exact content delivered.

Fundations Level 2 explicitly defines formative assessments as informal tools collected over time to guide immediate instructional decisions and support targeted, small-group intervention. Across units, including the overviews, the curriculum clarifies that these assessments are purpose-driven to measure mastery of specific skills, such as syllable division rules, VCe structures, and long vowel sounds. By combining structured encoding and decoding tasks with ongoing observational data, the program provides educators with clear guidance on how to use these tools for effective remediation and differentiated literacy instruction.

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

The Progress Monitoring Level 2 Teacher’s Guide ensures consistent, accurate administration through a structured nine-step implementation process. For foundational tasks like the Nonsense Word Fluency Assessment, the materials establish a uniform testing environment by combining strict administration procedures with precise, scripted language for educators to read aloud. Additionally, the guide outlines the rationale for tools such as the Oral Reading Fluency measure, helping educators consistently evaluate integrated skills, including sound automaticity and decoding efficiency.

The Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2 ensures uniform and equitable administration by outlining a four-step preparation protocol, explicit dictation lists, and clear scoring benchmarks. For example, during unit tests, the manual provides structured instructions, such as directing students to the correct notebook section, and lists exact words to dictate, including spoke, blaze, and timeless. Furthermore, the program standardizes nonsense word fluency tracking by specifying a strict three-week testing interval and precise scoring criteria, ensuring that student data remains consistent, reliable, and comparable across teaching teams.

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

Fundations Level 2 structures its instructional assessments to mirror a systematic, cumulative scope and sequence, with tasks that naturally increase in complexity over time. As outlined in the preface, the program’s unit assessments are explicitly designed around a progression of skills, so each test builds directly on previously mastered concepts. The Phonemic Awareness Assessment Pathway Charts in the appendix demonstrate this variation in cognitive demand through diverse testing formats, ranging from rapid-response sound drills to intricate dictation and wordplay activities. Because the underlying curriculum systematically increases in rigor, diagnostic expectations scale alongside it, advancing from isolated word recognition to complex decoding, encoding, and structural word-marking tasks as the school year progresses.

Fundations Level 2 deliberately structures its instructional assessments at varying levels of complexity, mirroring the cumulative, unit-by-unit progression outlined in the preface. Because each unit introduces more sophisticated phonetic patterns and rules that build directly on prior learning, the formal unit tests naturally increase in difficulty and cognitive demand over the year. This systematic increase in complexity is reinforced by daily, embedded formative assessments. As detailed in the preface, these ongoing checks move far beyond simple letter-sound identification. They require students to apply their knowledge across a tiered spectrum of literacy skills, ranging from fundamental phonemic awareness and decoding to highly complex independent spelling and morphological analysis, such as evaluating how a student manipulates base words and suffixes. By evaluating these multi-layered skills without instructional scaffolds, the assessments provide a rigorous, accurate measure of independent student mastery.

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

The level 2 Progress Monitoring Teacher’s Guide outlines structured scoring and data-interpretation guidance through a four-step diagnostic process that uses baseline data and visual aim lines to track growth. By plotting multidimensional assessment metrics, such as nonsense word fluency and oral reading fluency (words read correctly and accuracy), educators can visually analyze whether a student can independently apply phonetic rules or read connected text fluently. The manual provides explicit, trend-based instructions, advising educators to maintain current pacing if a student improves along their target path or to introduce targeted instructional scaffolds if performance falls below the aim line.

The Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2 provides clear scoring rubrics and data-driven guidance aligned with an 80 percent mastery benchmark. Point-by-point scoring breakdowns enable educators to quickly grade individual test items, and explicit instructions direct them to extend unit pacing if the class average falls short or to provide targeted assistance if an individual falls below 80 percent. Furthermore, the curriculum guides educators to cross-reference these unit tests with daily formative data and provides advanced diagnostic protocols, advising them to deploy specialized Acadience measures if data discrepancies or outliers appear.

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

The FUN HUB Unit Test Tracker for level 2 provides a digital dashboard that automatically charts student performance trends and flags scores below the 80 percent mastery threshold to prompt immediate instructional adjustments. If a whole-class trend falls short of this benchmark, it directs educators to halt pacing and deploy specialized reteach lesson plans from the Prevention/Early Intervention Learning Community for two to five days before retesting. For individual struggling second graders, the system guides educators to apply targeted tier one differentiation, provide extra practice, or analyze specific error patterns to determine placement in intervention groups.

The Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2 integrates a data-driven decision-making protocol into each unit test section to guide educators in responding to student performance trends. If a class-wide trend shows that fewer than 80 percent of students demonstrate mastery, the protocol prompts educators to extend the unit’s instructional time. For individual students falling below the 80 percent threshold, the manual outlines immediate remediation paths, including analyzing error patterns in targeted one-on-one meetings, addressing untested elements such as sentence phrasing and punctuation, or adjusting tier two strategies if progress-monitoring probes indicate that a student’s trajectory is flattening beneath their visual aim line.

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

The materials include multiple tools for educators to track student progress and growth, such as tier two progress reports, attendance logs, assessment scoring sections, student record charts, and graphing tools for foundational literacy skills, including word identification, nonsense word fluency, phoneme segmentation, and oral reading fluency. These resources support ongoing monitoring of student performance, documentation of interventions, and data-driven instructional decision-making throughout the school year.

The materials include Unit Test Trackers, individual student records, data collection sheets, progress-monitoring charts, and assessment reporting tools available through the FUN HUB and the level 2 Progress Monitoring Teacher's Guide. These resources support ongoing monitoring of student performance, documentation of mastery over time, and data-driven instructional decision-making. The program also offers student trackers to help students track their progress and engage in self-reflection.

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.

The materials provide differentiated instructional guidance and targeted support for students who have not yet reached proficiency in grade-level skills. The Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2, Unit Introductions, and daily lessons include this guidance and support. The strategies include scaffolding multisyllabic word reading and spelling, using visual supports, increasing practice through Fun in Focus and targeted practice blocks, and using practice books in centers, small groups, and independent work. These supports align directly with the skills students are learning and help educators address learning gaps while promoting mastery of foundational literacy skills.

Fundations Level 2 provides differentiated instructional guidance, corrective feedback, and targeted support for students who have not yet reached proficiency in grade-level skills. Throughout daily lessons and unit overviews, educators receive specific scaffolds, including visual supports, modeling, guided practice, Student Notebooks, spelling resources, and peer-expert activities, to reinforce skill development. The materials also include recommendations for reteaching challenging concepts, providing immediate corrective feedback, and using targeted instructional resources to address learning gaps and support mastery of foundational literacy skills.

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.

Fundations Level 2 provides differentiated instructional guidance and targeted practice opportunities in the Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2. Learning Activity Overviews, Corrective Feedback, and Unit Introductions offer recommendations for reteaching, guided instruction, and additional practice, enabling educators to support students who have not yet reached proficiency. For students ready for a challenge, the materials suggest activities, such as leading drills with standard sound cards and recalling keywords from memory, to build automaticity and deepen understanding of phonics patterns. The program consistently offers these differentiation supports, which directly align with the skills students are learning.

The materials offer differentiated instructional guidance and enrichment opportunities for students who have demonstrated proficiency in grade-level skills. Throughout the program, the “Students Ready for a Challenge” sections encourage educators to extend learning through vocabulary discussions, including multiple-meaning words, synonyms, antonyms, and word-of-the-day activities. The materials also recommend challenging students with more complex word patterns, such as ong/ung and onk/unk words, while providing additional practice, reteaching, and guided instruction for students who need support. These differentiation strategies help educators meet diverse student needs and deepen literacy development.

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 provide general differentiation and intervention supports but do not include SDI tailored to students receiving special education services. While the Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2 offers corrective feedback, guided practice, and intervention recommendations, these supports are broadly applicable to struggling learners and are not linked to specific disabilities or individualized accommodations. Examples such as reviewing vowel teams, identifying sounds in words, or segmenting syllables provide additional support but do not include prescribed instructional responses for students with identified disabilities. As a result, the materials offer general instructional guidance rather than embedding SDI within the lessons and units.

The materials offer general intervention recommendations but do not include SDI tailored to students receiving special education services. The Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2 recommends increasing instructional intensity through daily lessons, small-group or one-on-one instruction, and the "Fundations Intervention" guidelines and Fun in Focus lessons for students who require explicit, cumulative, and multimodal instruction. While the program includes structured teaching practices, such as modeling, guided practice, repetition, and ongoing monitoring, these supports are broadly applicable and do not provide specific adaptations, accommodations, or instructional methods aligned with particular disabilities. As a result, the guidance focuses on program delivery rather than on embedding SDI within the curriculum.

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

The materials include explicit prompts and guidance to help educators model and explain literacy skills. Unit introductions, daily lessons, learning activities, and Activity Cue Cards provide scripted language, instructional explanations, and step-by-step teaching procedures. These resources guide educators through lesson delivery by identifying key concepts, offering educator prompts, and outlining instructional routines that support direct explanation and modeling of new skills.

The materials also provide specific guidance for modeling foundational literacy concepts. For example, the materials explain the differences between blends and digraphs and offer prompts for modeling sounds with sound cards. Guidance throughout the lessons helps educators explain concepts such as glued sounds, base words, and suffixes while demonstrating how sounds and spelling patterns work within words. These instructional supports help educators make literacy skills explicit for students during instruction.

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

The materials include educator guidance and recommendations for effective delivery and facilitation, with unit introductions, learning activity overviews, Activity Cue Cards, and daily lessons. These resources provide explicit educator prompts, lesson objectives, student outcomes, learning plans, and step-by-step procedures for implementing instruction. Guidance supports lesson facilitation through activities such as drills, dictation, concept introductions, word study, story time, Student Notebook work, and review routines, helping educators deliver instruction consistently across lessons.

The materials also incorporate a variety of instructional approaches to support student learning and engagement. Lessons include educator modeling, guided practice, questioning techniques, corrective feedback, choral and echo responses, discussion-based learning, phoneme manipulation, word building, blending and segmenting activities, and student-led practice. The materials further support instruction through visual supports, auditory repetition, kinesthetic routines such as tapping and skywriting, and hands-on manipulation of sounds, letters, and phonics patterns. These approaches give students multiple opportunities to engage with and apply literacy skills.

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

The materials provide clear guidance for implementing whole-group, small-group, partner, and independent instructional structures. “Small Group Instruction” guidelines direct educators to use assessment data to form and adjust groups based on students’ reading abilities, instructional needs, and levels of support. They also recommend educator-led instruction, guided practice, partner work, and independent learning. The materials also include targeted practice guides, recommended time allocations for centers and small groups, and explicit guidance on educator actions before, during, and after instruction.

Unit introductions include recommendations for centers, targeted small-group instruction, and independent practice that are directly aligned with the skills being taught, such as practicing sound patterns and word structures and applying skills in connected text. The materials identify appropriate instructional settings for intervention and additional support and provide suggested activities and resources for each setting.

Evaluation for 3.3a
Materials include educator guidance on providing linguistic accommodations for various levels of language proficiency [as defined by the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS)], which are designed to engage students in using increasingly more academic language.

The materials provide guidance for educators on linguistic accommodations for varying levels of English language proficiency. The “Linguistic Accommodations for Multilingual Learners” resource includes differentiated supports for beginning, intermediate, advanced, and advanced high proficiency levels, such as gestures, verbal cues, sentence stems, visuals, modeling, word banks, and extended wait time. The Teacher’s Manual further supports implementation through the “Multilingual Learners Engagement,” “Multilingual Learners Connections,” and “Multilingual Learners Notes” sections, which offer guidance and instructional strategies to support multilingual learners during lessons.

The “Multilingual Learners Connections” and “Multilingual Learners Engagement” sections provide unit-specific guidance for previewing vocabulary, clarifying language concepts, providing structured practice opportunities, and supporting students’ understanding of English spelling conventions. The materials differentiate support by proficiency level, allowing educators to scaffold instruction and increase students’ use of academic language as proficiency develops. These supports help students engage with grade-level content while building vocabulary, oral language, reading, and writing skills through increasingly complex language expectations.

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

The materials provide guidance for supporting multilingual learners through embedded lesson resources but do not include an implementation guide for state-approved bilingual or ESL programs. The “Linguistic Accommodations for Multilingual Learners” resource includes differentiated supports for varying levels of English proficiency, such as visuals, modeling, sentence stems, word banks, and extended wait time. The Teacher’s Manual further supports educators through the “Multilingual Learners Engagement,” “Multilingual Learners Connections,” and “Multilingual Learners Notes” sections, which provide instructional strategies and accommodations within lessons.

The materials provide lesson-level supports for multilingual learners, but they do not provide an implementation guide for state-approved bilingual or ESL programs. The teacher’s manual includes instructional notes, engagement suggestions, and language-support strategies that help educators scaffold instruction for students at different English proficiency levels. These embedded resources support classroom instruction and language development, but they do not provide comprehensive guidance for implementing the materials within bilingual or ESL program models.

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

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.

No evidence of three-cueing as defined in Texas Education Code (TEC), §28.0062 was found in this program.

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.

Instruction begins with foundational oral language skills, such as rhyming and alliteration, then moves to syllable awareness, and continues into syllable blending and segmenting before advancing to phoneme-level manipulation, such as adding, deleting, and substituting sounds in spoken words. In the Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2, unit 2, week 1, day 4, students review rhyming skills previously introduced in earlier levels. Instruction then progresses to syllable-level activities in “Unit 3 Resources,” where students identify and manipulate syllables in spoken words. In unit 3, week 1, day 1, students engage in oral phoneme manipulation by adding, changing, and deleting sounds in spoken words. Students continue to develop phonological awareness through word chains and Echo/Change activities that require them to substitute and manipulate individual sounds within spoken words. These activities demonstrate a clear progression from larger sound units to more precise phoneme-level awareness.

Additional instruction reinforces this progression through daily oral sound routines. In the day 1 “Orientation,” students participate in listening activities where the educator dictates a sound, students repeat it, and students identify matching sounds in spoken language. Students then engage in oral word chains such as pain, paint, faint, and fainted, changing one sound at a time. Later, in unit 11, week 1, day 2, students manipulate phonemes in spoken words such as weep, keep, sheep, and sheet. Across lessons, students move from simple oral sound recognition to advanced phoneme manipulation without reliance on print, supporting a systematic progression of phonological awareness skills from basic to complex levels.

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).

In the Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2, instruction begins on the “Orientation Resources” page with explicit letter-sound routines where the educator says the letter, keyword, and sound (e.g., “a–apple–/a/” and “t–top–/t/”) for all letters of the alphabet. This foundational oral work is reinforced in the unit 11, week 1, day 1 Drill Sounds/Warm-Up, where an educator or student drill leader points to letters while students orally echo the letter name, keyword, and sound for vowels, new or challenging sounds, and selected consonants.


Students then progress into structured phoneme manipulation tasks that require increasingly complex oral operations. In unit 2, week 1, day 2, students engage in the Echo/Change activity by adding, substituting, and deleting phonemes to form new spoken words, such as pill → spill → spell → smell, demonstrating progression from simple sound identification to manipulation. Students also participate in oral word chains, such as charm → harm → art and rain → train → brain → grain, where they continuously modify individual phonemes in spoken words. Across lessons, students systematically build phonemic awareness from identifying and blending sounds to advanced phoneme manipulation without relying on print, supporting a clear developmental progression aligned to grade-level 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.

Educators model and guide students through oral phoneme segmentation, blending, and manipulation using structured routines such as Echo/Change and word chains. Instruction emphasizes listening to, identifying, and changing sounds in spoken words with clear educator modeling and guided student participation.


For example, in the Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2, unit 3, week 1, day 1, the educator leads students in an Echo/Change routine where a word is stated and students repeat it before adding, deleting, or substituting sounds to form new spoken words in a sequence, such as brand, branch, brunch, bunch, lunch. Students also participate in oral segmentation activities where the educator says a word, such as cold, and students break it into individual sounds, using finger tapping to support counting phonemes. Additional oral practice includes word chains, such as bar, ban, band, sand, stand, where students manipulate one sound at a time to create new spoken words. Across lessons, students build phonemic awareness from segmenting and blending to more advanced sound manipulation entirely through oral activities, supporting a systematic progression of phonological and phonemic awareness skills.

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.

Instruction begins with a cumulative review of previously taught skills such as letter-sound relationships, rhyme, alliteration, syllable awareness, and phoneme manipulation. For example, in the Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2, unit 1, educators review previously learned skills including rhyming, alliteration, sound recognition, and phoneme awareness routines from prior instruction, before introducing new content. The scope and sequence and unit review sections support ongoing cumulative practice by intentionally revisiting earlier skills across lessons.

Students continue to engage in repeated, cumulative oral practice through structured routines that require blending, segmenting, and manipulating sounds in spoken words. For example, in Echo/Find Words activities, students repeatedly hear and orally manipulate words, such as dash, moth, trot, shrug, bunch, drag, vest, and felt, practicing previously learned skills while applying them in new combinations. In the Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2, unit 9, week 2, day 3 lesson, students engage in cumulative oral word manipulation tasks where the educator dictates a word and students change one sound at a time to form new spoken words in sequences, such as florp → flarp, slint → slernt, and sharf → shirf. Students also continue manipulating sounds in additional oral word chains, such as stri → strid, stend → stemp, and lorst → lerst. Across lessons, students consistently revisit and apply previously learned phonological and phonemic skills through cumulative oral practice, reinforcing mastery and supporting progression to more complex sound manipulation.

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

New sounds, spelling patterns, and phonemic awareness concepts are introduced through direct instruction and modeling before students engage in guided, independent, and cumulative practice using routines such as Drill Sounds/Warm-Up, Echo/Change, Make It Fun, the level 2 Student Practice Book, FUN HUB activities, and Fundations Readers. The Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2 Appendix guides educators to provide additional targeted practice only on skills they explicitly taught using the Student Practice Book, FUN HUB digital activities, and decodable Fundations Readers. The guidance explains that these resources reinforce daily instruction through independent practice, small-group reteaching, structured centers, transition activities, and at-home practice. In addition, the review sections, instructional targets, and Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2 “Scope and Sequence” provide learning progressions and cumulative review opportunities before introducing new concepts. For example, students practice the vowel patterns oa, oe, and ow and apply them in word chains, such as road, roam, foam, form, only after educators explicitly teach these patterns in the “Introduce New Concepts” lesson. This systematic design ensures that student practice reinforces only previously taught skills while providing ongoing opportunities for review, application, and mastery.

The materials include cumulative student practice of only phonological and phonemic skills that educators explicitly taught. For example, in the Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2, after each unit test, the Unit Resources pages list all sounds, words, nonsense words, and sentence words taught and assessed in the unit, directly connecting instruction to cumulative practice opportunities. The “Unit 9 Resources” page also includes “Recommendations for Next Steps,” which guides educators in reinforcing the unit’s taught skills before introducing the next instructional concept. This intentional review ensures that students practice only previously taught phonological and phonemic awareness skills while building toward new learning.

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 scope and sequence progresses from reviewing CVC, CVCC, and CCVC words to double consonants, suffixes, multisyllabic words, r-controlled syllables, vowel teams, and final stable syllables, demonstrating a logical progression from simple to more complex patterns. For example, in unit 7, week 1, day 4, students review open and closed syllables before learning how open, closed, and VCe syllables combine in multisyllabic words and apply a new syllable-division rule to decode words, such as relish and beside. This structured sequence builds decoding, spelling, and word-analysis skills through explicit and cumulative instruction in sound–spelling patterns.


The scope and sequence progresses from reviewing short-vowel CVC, CCVC, and CVCC words to r-controlled vowels, vowel teams, and increasingly complex syllable patterns, with the “Appendix: Recommendations for Next Steps” section reinforcing skills in the same instructional order for reteaching. For example, in unit 7, week 3, day 1, students review previously taught vowel sounds, challenging sounds, and suffixes before applying them in the Echo/Change activity to manipulate words from sack to sick to stick to sticky, progressing from simple CVC words to words with blends and suffixes. This structured progression builds decoding, spelling, and word-analysis skills through explicit, cumulative sound-spelling instruction.

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.

Learning Activity Overviews guide educators to explicitly model multisyllabic spelling by segmenting words into syllables, using syllable frames, tapping one syllable at a time, and providing targeted corrective feedback before students read and check their completed words. For example, in unit 8, week 1, day 2, students decode and encode words with the /ar/ and /or/ sound–spelling patterns by identifying letter tiles, tapping phonemes, orally spelling words, and manipulating words such as card and cord. Unit 8, week 1, day 1 provides additional explicit instruction, where educators model r-controlled syllables and explicitly teach the difference between or and ore while students decode, spell, and analyze words using these patterns.


In unit 6, week 1, day 1, educators explicitly teach VCe words by comparing short- and long-vowel pairs, such as hop/hope, tub/tube, rid/ride, and cut/cute, and then guide students in tapping, reading, and building words, such as rope, tune, and time. Students reinforce these patterns through Word of the Day activities by reading, building, and writing word pairs, such as sham/shame, glob/globe, pip/pipe, and pet/Pete. Unit 7 dictation lessons and unit 9 provide additional explicit instruction, where students encode multisyllabic words, apply suffixes, analyze syllable types, and learn spelling rules for r-controlled syllables, using words such as termite, sturdy, perfect, and thirty.

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.

The program begins with a review of previously taught skills in unit 1, including blending and spelling CVC, CVCC, and CCVC words, and reinforces these skills through a cumulative scope and sequence, the Student Practice Book Level 2 activities, and decodable connected text. For example, in unit 11, week 2, day 1, students read the decodable story “Winter Daydream,” answer comprehension questions using textual evidence, and apply previously taught sound–spelling patterns to build fluency and automaticity. Activities such as Word of the Day, Review Concepts, Dictation, and Read and Draw a Story provide additional cumulative practice as students decode, encode, and analyze previously taught patterns in both isolated words and connected text.


In unit 6, week 2, day 4, students review previously taught spelling patterns by matching dictated sounds to their corresponding graphemes, writing the correct spellings, and reinforcing patterns such as ive, e-e, ch, z/s, u-e, w, and wh. The Student Practice Book Level 2 activities and decodable texts, including Read and Draw a Story, provide additional cumulative practice with students applying previously taught patterns in connected reading and writing. Repeated reading of decodable stories, such as “Winter Daydream,” along with activities like Word of the Day, Make Words, Phrase Reading, and Get Ready, Get Set, Spell, reinforces decoding and encoding skills in both isolated words and connected text, building accuracy, automaticity, and fluency.

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

The Appendix directs educators to reinforce previously taught concepts with the Student Practice Book Level 2, FUN HUB activities, decodable readers, small-group instruction, and at-home practice, ensuring that students apply only taught sound–spelling patterns. For example, in unit 7, week 1 of the Student Practice Book Level 2, students read, mark, rewrite, and tap words, such as hi, hint, cry, me, met, flu, pro, and shy, applying previously taught open and closed syllable patterns without introducing new concepts. Unit 10 review activities and the Student Practice Book Level 2 tasks, such as “Exploring the World of Words,” provide additional reinforcement by having students practice only previously taught patterns, including digraphs, r-controlled syllables, and long a vowel teams introduced in earlier units.


Following each unit assessment, resources such as “Unit 6 Resource Page” and “Recommendations for Next Steps” connect the assessment to the cumulative review by identifying taught spelling patterns and providing guidance for reinforcing skills before introducing new concepts. For example, in the Student Practice Book Level 2, unit 6, week 2 lesson, students build and read multisyllabic words such as inflate, postponement, disruptive, incomplete, valentine, recognize, and captive by applying previously taught syllable types, suffixes, and VCe patterns. Unit 2 review activities and the Student Practice Book Level 2 tasks, such as Match Words with Pictures, provide additional reinforcement with students practicing only previously taught patterns, including long e vowel teams, consonant digraphs, closed syllables, and trigraphs.

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.

In the Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2 “Scope and Sequence,” students are expected to read and spell the first 200 high-frequency words, including irregular words. Fundations Level 2 introduces high-frequency words and reviews them in a logical progression, including trick words such as shall, pull, full, both, talk, and walk, plus additional words added throughout the year. Unit 1 introduces phonetically regular high-frequency words, and word complexity increases through unit 17. The "TEKS Correlations" document further shows that the program systematically teaches both regular and irregular high-frequency words from the Fry list. For example, unit 2 introduces talk, walk, will, off, and then, while unit 8 adds irregular words, such as world, answer, and different, alongside phonetically regular words that align with newly taught r-controlled syllable patterns. This systematic progression supports automatic word recognition and accurate spelling.


According to the Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2, students review the 107 trick words taught in levels K and 1. The program draws these words from the Fry list and The American Heritage Word Frequency Book. Combined with phonics instruction, these words support mastery of the first 200 Fry words and 95 percent of the first 300 American Heritage high-frequency words. The program introduces high-frequency words in a regular logical progression. For example, unit 2 introduces shall, full, pull, both, talk, and walk; unit 4 adds again, please, sure, and used; unit 5 introduces against, knew, know, always, and often; and unit 10 includes more advanced words, such as great, country, away, America, school, and thought. Phonetically regular high-frequency words are also taught alongside corresponding phonics concepts, ensuring systematic, cumulative instruction that supports automatic word recognition and accurate spelling.

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.

In Texas Supplemental Resources Level 2, “Teaching Trick Word Procedure” guides educators to explicitly model each trick word by identifying the known and tricky parts and to lead students in oral spelling, skywriting, visualization, and independent writing. Although the materials do not specifically label words as “regular” or “irregular” high-frequency words, both types are included in instruction. The Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2 provides additional explicit routines for teaching high-frequency words. In the Learning Activity Overview, educators dictate trick words and have students echo the words, finger-write them while naming each letter, and then write the words on dry-erase tablets or in their Student Notebooks, reinforcing both decoding and encoding. Students also receive explicit decoding and encoding instruction during daily lessons. For example, in unit 2, week 1, students learn to decode words with the glued sound all (e.g., fall, mall, call, and wall) using tapping and blending routines. In the Student Notebook entry, students write the designated Word of the Day and use it in a sentence, reinforcing sound–symbol relationships, spelling patterns, and orthographic knowledge through authentic writing.


In the Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2, unit 5, week 1, day 1 lesson, educators explicitly introduce the trick words against, know, and knew by identifying known and tricky parts, modeling spelling through skywriting, practicing on Gel Word Boards, and reinforcing automatic recognition with trick word flashcards. Similarly, in unit 11, week 2, day 3, students practice spelling trick words, such as breakfast, head, ready, and whose, through tracing, writing, and sentence dictation. The Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2 provides scripted routines for teaching high-frequency words. For example, in unit 2, week 1, day 1, educators explicitly teach the trick words shall, full, and pull by modeling pronunciation, identifying regular and irregular parts, guiding students through skywriting and letter naming, and reinforcing reading with flashcards. Daily lessons also provide explicit decoding and encoding practice. In unit 2, week 1, students decode words containing the glued sound all by identifying word structure and recognizing bonus letters, and they encode words by segmenting dictated words, building them with letter tiles, and applying spelling generalizations such as doubling final consonants after a short vowel.

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.

In the Student Practice Book Level 2, students revisit previously taught trick words through activities such as Phrase Reading, where they read sentences, identify high-frequency words introduced during daily instruction, and practice reading with fluency. The materials guide students to engage in additional encoding practice by writing their own sentences using previously taught trick words and targeted vocabulary. Connected-text activities such as Read and Draw a Story provide repeated opportunities to apply high-frequency words in meaningful reading contexts. The Student Practice Book Level 2 also provides cumulative practice in both isolation and connected text. For example, in unit 3, week 2, students read phrases and sentences containing previously taught regular and irregular high-frequency words, circle the trick words, and skywrite them to reinforce spelling and automatic recognition. In unit 4, week 2, students further strengthen their decoding and encoding skills by tracing, writing, and matching previously taught words to pictures, thereby reinforcing orthographic patterns and fluent word recognition. The Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2 reinforces this cumulative practice through daily routines. In unit 1, week 2, day 5, students build automaticity by reading previously learned trick words from the Trick Words Flashcard pack. In unit 2, week 1, day 3, students encode dictated trick words by finger-writing them on dry-erase writing tablets, then write dictated sentences and reread them with phrasing and fluency.

In the Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2, unit 12, week 1, day 1 lesson, students learn the trick words favorite, early, and ocean through explicit routines that include flashcards, identifying known and tricky parts, skywriting, writing on Gel Word Boards, and repeated reading for automaticity. The Student Practice Book Level 2 provides cumulative practice in both isolation and connected text. In unit 4, week 2, students decode and encode previously taught words by identifying base words and suffixes, selecting the correct words to complete sentences, writing the words, and rereading the completed sentences to build fluency. In unit 5, week 2, Phrase Reading activities have students read phrases and sentences containing previously taught regular and irregular high-frequency words, circle trick words, and skywrite them to reinforce automatic recognition, spelling, and fluency.

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

The Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2 appendix directs educators to reinforce the skills taught in the Student Practice Book, FUN HUB activities, Fundations Readers, small-group instruction, and at-home practice, ensuring that students practice only explicitly taught high-frequency words. It provides a cumulative review in both isolation and connected text. In unit 9, week 1, students build automaticity by reading previously taught trick words during the Follow the Trail activity and writing sentences using those words. In unit 9, week 2, students read a decodable story containing only previously taught high-frequency words and scoop phrases for fluency, and they demonstrate comprehension through drawing, thereby reinforcing automatic word recognition and application.

Following each unit assessment, the Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2 provides a cumulative list of taught trick words and recommendations for next steps to reinforce mastered skills before introducing new concepts. For example, the “Unit 12 Resource” page reviews previously taught level 1 and level 2 high-frequency words.

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.

In level 2, instruction progresses in a structured order beginning with closed syllables (unit 1) and closed-syllable exceptions (unit 3), followed by syllable division in two-syllable words (unit 5). Students then build understanding of additional syllable types, including VCe (unit 6), open syllables (unit 7), r-controlled syllables (units 8 and 9), vowel teams (units 10–16), and final stable syllables (unit 17). Across these units, students apply each newly introduced syllable type to increasingly complex multisyllabic words while reinforcing previously taught patterns, supporting cumulative skill development in decoding and encoding.

Instruction also includes explicit teaching of syllable-division principles to support decoding multisyllabic words. Students practice dividing words between consonants and applying consistent strategies to decode words, such as napkin, sunfish, catnip, and cactus. These routines strengthen students’ ability to accurately segment and read multisyllabic words while applying the syllable types introduced throughout the sequence.

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.

In unit 2, week 1, students explicitly learn to decode and encode one-syllable words with glued sounds and bonus letters by tapping, reading, and spelling words such as fall, mall, call, wall, toss, smell, buff, and grass. Educators model the sound–spelling patterns while students practice reading and building the words. The program also provides explicit instruction for multisyllabic words. In unit 5, week 1, educators model syllable division using disrupt, and students practice scooping syllables, identifying syllable types, and decoding and encoding words, such as catfish, until, edit, finish, robin, mascot, and combat. Students apply syllable division procedures and spell one syllable at a time using syllable frames, letter tiles, and guided practice.


The Learning Activity Overviews direct educators to guide students through dictation routines in which they orally segment one-syllable words into phonemes and multisyllabic words into syllables before writing and rereading them. Educators monitor student responses, provide immediate corrective feedback, and reinforce sound-symbol correspondences, syllable division, and word analysis. Daily lessons also include additional explicit instruction. In unit 1, week 2, day 3, students learn to decode and encode closed-syllable words, such as bat, at, and bath, by identifying how consonants “close in” the vowel to produce a short vowel sound. In unit 7, week 1, day 1, educators explicitly introduce open syllables and syllable division, guiding students to read one-syllable words, such as hi, she, so, no, and flu, before applying the same procedures to multisyllabic words, such as index, nutmeg, and relish, by reading and spelling one syllable at a time.

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.

In the Student Practice Book Level 2, unit 1, week 1, students read, spell, and segment one-syllable words such as whip, shrub, and next, reinforcing previously taught phonics skills. As instruction progresses, in unit 5, week 2, students apply these skills to multisyllabic words, such as investment, unselfish, and inhabit, strengthening decoding and spelling of increasingly complex words. The materials also provide cumulative practice in both isolation and connected text to build automaticity. Activities such as Mark Current Concepts and Which Word Makes Sense? require students to decode, encode, and analyze one-syllable and multisyllabic words by marking syllable types, suffixes, and phonics patterns before applying them in sentences. Additional connected-text practice, in unit 5, week 1, including Read and Draw a Story, gives students repeated opportunities to read, write, and apply previously taught decoding and encoding skills in meaningful contexts.


In the Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2, unit 2, week 1, day 1 lesson, students build automaticity with one-syllable words by reading and spelling words, such as less, still, off, tell, shelf, buzz, and quiz, while applying previously taught bonus letter patterns and glued sounds. In unit 5, week 1, day 1, students extend these skills to multisyllabic words by identifying syllables, dividing compound words, and reading and spelling words such as catnip, bathtub, sunset, and mascot, using syllable frames and explicit syllable-division procedures. The Student Practice Book Level 2 provides cumulative practice in both isolation and connected text. In unit 4, week 1, the Junior Word Detective activity, students decode one-syllable and multisyllabic words by identifying base words and suffixes. The Exploring the World of Words activity has students read connected text and write original sentences using targeted multisyllabic words. Activities such as Which Word Makes Sense? provide additional cumulative practice with students reading decodable sentences, selecting words from a word bank, and writing them to complete the sentences. Unit 1, week 2 focuses on one-syllable words such as chomp, pond, and quilt, while unit 13, week 2 extends the same routine to multisyllabic words such as mowed, rainbows, and toaster, reinforcing automaticity in decoding and encoding words in both isolation and connected text.

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

The Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2 provides structured opportunities for cumulative review through unit tests and recommended next steps, directing educators to reinforce previously taught syllable types using Fluency Kit drills, word-marking activities, and FUN HUB practice. These resources extend instruction without introducing new syllable concepts, ensuring students only practice previously taught skills.

The Student Practice Book Level 2 reinforces this sequence through guided application of learned skills. For example, after instruction on r-controlled syllables, students complete the unit 8, week 1 Mark Current Concepts activity, where they read words, scoop syllables, identify suffixes, and label syllable types such as closed, open, VCe, and r-controlled. In the unit 7, week 2 Junior Word Detective activity, students divide words into syllables and identify syllable types using only previously taught concepts, including open syllables (unit 7), closed syllables (unit 1), and syllable division principles (unit 5). Additional practice continues in the unit 8, week 1 Phrase Reading activity, where students scoop syllables and identify syllable types, and the unit 17, week 1 Mark Current Concepts activity, where they analyze words, such as beagle, simple, crumble, and table, using only previously taught syllable types and division strategies.

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 Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2 “Scope and Sequence” begins with a review of the inflectional suffixes -s, -es, -ed, and -ing. Unit 4 introduces the comparative suffixes -er and -est. Unit 5 expands instruction to include the derivational suffixes -ful, -ment, -ness, -less, -able, -en, and -ish, as well as the prefixes mis-, un-, non-, dis-, and trans-. Additional morphology instruction continues with the suffix -ive in unit 6 and the suffixes -y, -ly, and -ty in unit 7, demonstrating a systematic progression from less complex to more advanced morphemes. Decoding, spelling, vocabulary, and multisyllabic word analysis activities reinforce morphological concepts, with unit 13 providing a cumulative review of suffixes and unit 17 revisiting previously learned syllable concepts.


The Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2, unit 4 instruction begins by reinforcing the inflectional suffixes -s, -es, -ed, and -ing while introducing the comparative suffixes -er and -est. Students analyze how suffixes change word meaning and structure and identify base words before reading and spelling complete words. This supports understanding of unchanging base words prior to more complex morphological patterns. In unit 7, instruction expands to include the additional derivational suffixes -ness, -less, -ment, -ful, -able, -ish, and -en, along with the prefixes pre-, pro-, re-, and de-. In unit 7, students continue the sequence by learning the suffixes -y, -ly, and -ty, demonstrating a progression from inflectional endings to more complex derivational affixes. This structured sequence builds cumulatively across units and supports systematic development of morphological knowledge aligned to the grade-level TEKS.

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.

The Texas Supplemental Resources Level 2 “Dictation Procedures: Words with a Suffix” provides explicit guidance for educators on modeling morphology. Educators dictate a word, have students repeat it, identify the suffix, state the base word, and spell the word, using tapping as needed to support accurate spelling. In the Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2, unit 4, week 1, day 2 “Introduce New Concepts” lesson, educators explicitly teach the suffixes -s, -es, and -ed by explaining pronunciation variations and classifying suffixes as “vowel” or “consonant” suffixes. Educators model how suffixes attach to base words (e.g., map/maps, ring/rings), explicitly identify base words, and explain that -s can represent /s/ or /z/. In unit 5, week 2, day 3, educators explicitly introduce the prefixes mis-, un-, non-, dis-, and trans-, explaining how each prefix changes word meaning.

Unit 5, week 2, day 1 provides additional explicit instruction, with educators reviewing vowel and consonant suffixes, such as -es, -ed, -ing, -er, -est, and -i, and introducing more complex suffixes, such as -ful, -less, -ment, -ness, -ish, -en, and -able. Educators model how to identify base words, attach suffixes, and explain changes in meaning, using words such as invented to demonstrate how suffixes alter word structure and meaning. Students also analyze prefixed words, such as misunderstood, unhappy, and disobey, while educators model how prefixes change meaning and guide students in identifying and interpreting morphemic parts.

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.

In the Student Practice Book Level 2, unit 4, week 1 Junior Word Detective activity, students identify words with suffixes, underline the base word, and circle the suffix in words such as kindest, blocks, and sprinting, reinforcing previously taught morphology. In the unit 4, week 1, “Exploring the World of Words” lesson, students read sentences containing words such as thicker and softest, write original sentences using the bolded words, and demonstrate understanding of their meanings. Unit 5, week 2, day 4 provides additional cumulative practice as students identify suffixes, analyze words such as blesses, thrilling, coldest, insulted, and mindful, and apply their understanding while writing and proofreading dictated sentences.


In the Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2, unit 7, week 2, day 3 lesson, students review the previously taught prefixes mis-, un-, non-, trans-, and dis-, and learn the new prefixes pre-, re-, de-, and pro- by reading words, discussing meanings, and completing a “Prefix Puzzle” activity that reinforces how prefixes change word meaning. The materials also provide cumulative practice in connected text. In the Student Notebook, unit 6, students read the story “Babe Ruth” and apply previously taught morphological skills to words, such as winning, greatest, and loved. The Student Practice Book Level 2, unit 4, week 2 offers additional practice where students identify base words and suffixes in isolated words and apply these skills while reading and completing connected-text activities.

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

The Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2 Appendix recommends additional practice in the Student Practice Book Level 2, FUN HUB activities, and Fundations Readers, allowing students to reinforce previously taught prefixes, suffixes, and base words during independent work, small-group instruction, and at-home practice. This cumulative design is reflected throughout the lessons. In unit 4, week 1, day 2, students analyze words, such as thicker, welder, stashes, dullest, flinging, and lungs by identifying base words and familiar suffixes, such as -s, -es, -ing, -er, and -est, reinforcing only previously taught morphemes. Similarly, the Student Practice Book Level 2 provides practice only with taught morphemes, such as the suffixes -y, -ly, and-ty, after unit 7 introduces them, ensuring students build automaticity through cumulative review without introducing new morphological concepts.


After each unit assessment, the Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2 provides recommendations for next steps, including Fluency Kit drills, FUN HUB activities, and review word lists that reinforce previously taught morphological concepts. For example, after unit 13, students continue practicing familiar suffixes in words such as selfish, fistful, and limitless through targeted review activities. This cumulative practice is reinforced throughout instruction. In unit 4, week 1, day 2, students analyze words such as thicker, welder, stashes, dullest, flinging, and lungs by identifying base words and familiar suffixes such as -s, -es, -ing, -er, and -est. In the Student Practice Book Level 2, unit 10, week 1 Mark Current Concepts activity, students read words, scoop syllables, and circle the suffixes -s, -ed, and -ing, applying only previously taught morphemes.

Evaluation for 7.1a
Materials include explicit (direct) and systematic handwriting instruction (e.g., sequenced from lowercase letters to uppercase letters) in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The Level 2 Writing Teaching Guide provides a structured sequence that begins with the “1-2-3 Right—Let’s Write!” routine, which establishes correct sitting position, paper placement, and pencil grip before students begin handwriting practice. Students learn letter formation using the Large Letter Formation Grid with sky, plane, grass, and worm lines to support correct placement, size, and stroke formation. Instruction follows a deliberate progression from lowercase cursive letters to uppercase letters, with letters introduced according to common formation patterns, including loop letters, up/down letters, two o’clock letters, and hump letters. Students then apply individual letter formation to connected words and sentences. The Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2 “Handwriting Instruction Overview” reinforces this systematic approach through explicit modeling, verbal cues, skywriting, tracing, repeated writing, and daily dictation activities designed to build automatic and fluent letter formation.


Guided practice and application across daily lessons reinforce handwriting instruction. In the Wilson Cursive Writing Kit, the “Principles of Instruction” instructs educators to model letter formation and guide students through multimodal practice before students independently apply skills through writing activities. During sound dictation, students write only previously taught cursive letters, progressing to words and sentences as additional letters are introduced. Educators reinforce correct formation using consistent verbal cues and direct modeling while monitoring handwriting habits, including posture, pencil grip, paper position, and letter formation. The materials also include explicit instruction in connecting letters, including bridge letters such as b and w, to support smooth and fluent cursive writing. Through sequenced instruction, educator modeling, guided practice, dictation, and connected writing activities, students receive systematic opportunities to develop accurate and automatic handwriting skills.

Evaluation for 7.1b
Materials include frequent opportunities for students to develop and refine handwriting skills through guided practice and independent practice in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The Wilson Cursive Writing Kit provides explicit instruction through educator modeling, consistent verbalizations, and scaffolded practice routines. Educators introduce letter formation using the Large Letter Formation Grid and guide students through a progression of skywriting, tracing, copying, and written practice. For example, in the Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2, the “Echo/Letter Formation” routine directs educators to model letter formation, prompt students to identify the letter, and guide students as they form letters on dry-erase writing tablets while repeating formation cues. The “1-2-3 Right—Let’s Write!” routine reinforces correct writing habits, including sitting position, paper placement, wrist position, and pencil grip. Educators monitor students’ letter formation and provide feedback as students practice newly introduced and previously taught letters. These routines are reinforced through guided practice activities, including letter formation worksheets, verbalizations, and educator-supported dictation.


The materials also provide frequent opportunities for students to apply and refine handwriting skills independently through dictation, connected writing, Student Notebooks, and authentic writing tasks. In the unit 2, week 1, day 4 Dictation activity, students use their Student Notebooks to write dictated letters, words, trick words, and sentences, independently applying correct letter formation. The program regularly includes additional dictation practice; for example, in unit 9, week 1, day 1, students write dictated sentences, such as “It is not polite to burp at lunch” and “Take a picture of that old church,” reinforcing handwriting fluency within connected writing. The Wilson Cursive Forward Slant Workbook and the Wilson Cursive Backward Slant Workbook provide additional repeated practice with letter formation, spacing, and legibility. The Student Practice Book Level 2 also integrates handwriting with reading and writing skills; for example, the unit 3, week 2 “Exploring the World of Words” activity requires students to write a sentence using a vocabulary word and draw a related picture. Across guided letter-formation routines, dictation, handwriting notebooks, and authentic writing tasks, the materials provide systematic opportunities for students to develop, apply, and refine handwriting skills through guided and independent practice.

Evaluation for 7.1c
Materials include guidance for educators to provide feedback to students to develop and refine their handwriting skills (e.g., writing position, writing grip, letter spacing, size, slant, directionality) in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The materials provide educators with explicit guidance on delivering corrective feedback to help students develop and refine handwriting skills. In the Fundations Teacher’s Manual 2, the Learning Activity Overview and the “Cursive Teacher’s Guide” direct educators to monitor students’ posture, pencil grip, paper placement, letter formation, spacing, and directionality throughout handwriting instruction. The materials also guide educators to use modeling, consistent verbal cues, guiding questions, and corrective feedback to address errors as they occur. Additional multimodal supports, such as skywriting, tracing, and daily writing activities, offer opportunities to reinforce correct handwriting habits.

The “Cursive Teacher’s Guide for Levels 2 and 3” further supports educators by providing explicit intervention routines for students who need additional handwriting support. The “Working with Students with Handwriting Problems” section directs educators to use strategies such as “trace to erase,” finger writing, guided verbalizations, large-grid practice, and handwriting paper to correct errors and reinforce proper letter formation. The guide also includes detailed letter-formation verbalizations, visual models, and Corrective Feedback guidance that instructs educators to use modeling, guiding questions, and verbal cues to address errors in letter formation, size, placement, slant, and letter connections, helping students develop accurate, fluent handwriting.