Handwriting 2026 Texas, Grade 1

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 grade 1 Teacher Edition “Efficacy” section identifies the supplemental program’s stated purpose as: “The act of handwriting supports the brains of developing readers. As students practice forming letters, they learn to recognize the letters when they read.” The section also outlines the program’s short- and long-term goals. In the short term, the program aims to help students write automatically, efficiently, and legibly. Long-term goals include helping students apply their handwriting skills to communicate their thoughts and ideas and to build connections within learning communities.

Additionally, the grade 1 Teacher Edition “Getting Started” page directs educators to explain that the program helps students improve their ability to write letters, words, numerals, and sentences. Educators introduce strategies to help students make their handwriting easier to read. Furthermore, the materials explain that explicit, systematic handwriting instruction, combined with continued practice, helps students become stronger readers, writers, and communicators.

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.

Grade 1 materials provide clear guidance on how to appropriately integrate handwriting instruction into a core reading and language arts program. The Teacher Edition’s “Sequence of Instruction” section explicitly outlines the most effective approach for using this supplemental program. Additionally, the three-step process of “Model,” “Practice,” and “Evaluate” is outlined.

The grade 1 Teacher Edition “Program Components” page provides instructional overviews that emphasize how educators can deliver explicit, effective handwriting instruction in 15 minutes each day. To support instructional efficiency, the Teacher Edition includes practical tips for quick modeling, guided practice, and evaluation. This flexible design allows educators to incorporate the curriculum throughout the school day, including during five- to 10-minute instructional periods.

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 grade 1 Teacher Edition includes a “Correlation to TEKS” section. In this section, the TEKS correlation table outlines student expectations down to the breakout level and identifies the specific Teacher Edition and Student Workbook pages where each breakout standard is addressed.

Grade 1 materials in the Teacher Edition include a scope and sequence document that provides educators with page numbers for the skills taught throughout the program. For example, if educators want to work on the skill of “joining,” the scope and sequence document includes both student-facing and educator-facing pages for that skill.

The Teacher Edition’s introduction to the materials includes a rationale for the scope and sequence design in the “Groupings, Patterns, and Progress” section. This section explains that letters of the alphabet are presented in groups that “share common strokes, formation patterns, and visual attributes.”

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

The grade 1 Teacher Edition “Fast, Efficient Instruction” section guides the program’s time requirements, and explains how educators can implement the program in 15 minutes per day. The Teacher Edition also provides explicit instruction and practice opportunities for implementation throughout the day, and the lessons allow for flexible implementation within the daily plan. The Teacher Edition also divides lessons into a consistent three-part format: “Model,” “Practice,” and “Evaluate.”

The My ZB Portal includes a pacing guide for grade 1 that is designed for 36 weeks of instruction and includes guidance for five days per week. The pacing guide outlines the educator and student pages used each day and describes the whole-class, educator-led instruction for daily lessons. The pacing guide also directs educators to additional resources, such as associated animated letter models, videos, and games for each lesson. In addition, the pacing guide provides related differentiation activities and indicates whether home practice is available.

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

The grade 1 Teacher Edition “Program Components” pages support effective program implementation by providing educators with visual examples of the materials, including the student and educator guides. These examples identify and explain the sections on each page and describe how educators and students should use the materials during instruction. Each section of the sample page is highlighted and labeled to clarify its purpose for educators. For example, the “Strategies for Improving Handwriting as a Whole Class” section directs educators to the “Teacher Tips” feature on the sample page. Additionally, the “Your Components at a Glance” page offers further implementation support by listing each program component, providing a brief description of its purpose and benefits, and indicating where educators can find the resources.

Educators find implementation guidance for the program throughout the grade 1 Teacher Edition. These materials introduce educators to the program’s key resources, including the Teacher Edition, Student Edition, and Practice Masters, and explain how to use each component. For example, the Teacher Edition includes research-based instruction, streamlined three-step lessons, and supplemental supports like differentiation tips. The Practice Masters resource provides additional opportunities for student practice through reproducible pages that educators can use for small-group instruction, learning centers, or homework assignments.

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

The grade 1 Practice Masters resource includes family supports, such as printable pages educators can send home so students can practice handwriting with their families. Some of these pages include “Notes to Families” that offer guidance and tips for supporting student learning at home. The family support materials are available in both English and Spanish.

The grade 1 Teacher Edition includes a “School–Home Connection” initiative designed to encourage family involvement to support students’ handwriting development at home. The materials highlight the importance of family support and identify available practice materials and digital resources for use outside the classroom. For example, the materials state, “Adults can use the codes to help reinforce correct letter formation as students practice.” Finally, the “School–Home Connection” supports educators and is available only in English. However, it is not a family-facing resource.

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 1 Teacher Edition includes an appropriate daily formative assessment that supports the supplemental program’s stated purpose. The last step in every lesson cycle is “Evaluate,” which instructs the educator to have students stop and evaluate their work. For example, in unit 1, the materials direct educators to verify that students have traced the lines correctly and to notice details such as whether the tall letters are touching the headline. This process ensures that students learn proper letter formation to support their overall handwriting development. Additionally, the materials include “Teacher Tips” that help students compare and evaluate their letters against the model letters on the guidelines. This helps students self-evaluate their handwriting throughout the program.

The grade 1 Teacher Edition also includes a summative assessment to help educators evaluate students’ progress at the end of the school year or after students complete the program. The posttest appears at the end of unit 4, and is a cumulative tool that determines students’ mastery of all uppercase and lowercase letters and numbers up to 20. The supplemental program includes a “Manuscript Evaluation Rubric” and a “Record of Student’s Handwriting Skills,” which are resources that help educators determine whether a student needs more practice or has achieved proficiency.

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

The grade 1 Teacher Edition includes the definition and intended purpose of one type of instructional assessment for the program. In the “Evaluation” section, self-evaluation is presented as a method for students to identify their strengths and weaknesses as they become independent learners. The self-evaluation process has five steps: “Question,” “Compare,” “Evaluate,” “Diagnose,” and “Improve.” By using these steps, the educator helps students learn to critique and improve their handwriting. To begin the self-evaluation process, students ask themselves questions such as, “Do my letters rest on the baseline?” Next, students compare their work with a model and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. Finally, students and educators diagnose the causes of difficulties and discuss possible corrections. These actions lead to improved writing.

Additional information in the grade 1 Teacher Edition, found in the unit 1 “Evaluate” section of the pretest, explains the purpose of instructional assessments for the program. This page states that the pretest is intended to evaluate manuscript handwriting, and is a tool to help educators identify existing habits and early writing patterns to plan future lessons effectively. Furthermore, the program directs educators to observe how students draw and form letters and numerals during the pretest.

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

The grade 1 Teacher Edition includes explicit instructions for administration of the pretests and posttests. The materials provide directions for educators to use as they guide students through the three steps of the assessment: “Model,” “Practice,” and “Evaluate.” The educator script helps ensure consistent, accurate administration of the instructional assessment. For example, in step 1, “Model,” the educator tells students that they will learn to write numerals and the letters of the alphabet. During the “Practice” step, the educator asks students to complete the student pages, where they write their names, ages, and the letters they know. Students also draw a picture and write a sentence about it. Educators observe students as they write and note how they form their letters.

In addition, the materials provide guidance in the grade 1 Teacher Edition “Evaluation” section to ensure consistent and accurate administration with the use of the “Keys to Legibility” resource. Students and educators use this resource in each lesson and to assess students’ writing afterward. The materials explain how to compare posttest writing to pretest writing. The program also provides educators with a four-point rubric for evaluating students’ writing. The rubric assesses the “Keys to Legibility,” including shape, size, spacing, and slant.

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

The grade 1 Teacher Edition assessments in the program include items at varying levels of complexity, and the “Groupings, Patterns, and Progress” page outlines the systematic sequence embedded in the Handwriting program. This program groups manuscript letters by stroke type and teaches them in a developmentally appropriate sequence, with rigor increasing as the program progresses. Students evaluate their writing during each lesson. The lessons progress from writing strokes to letters, then to words, and finally to sentences.

Additionally, the grade 1 program materials include assessments at the end of each unit. These assessments increase in complexity as students progress through the instructional cycle. For example, in unit 2, the “Evaluation” has students write individual letters; in unit 3, they write phrases without capital letters; and in unit 4, they write complete sentences. All unit assessments provide students with a manuscript model of the required writing. The posttest for the grade 1 program requires students to write a sentence, write all lowercase letters, write all uppercase letters, and finish a story. With each passing unit, the complexity of the materials increases as students’ skills develop.

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

The Grade 1 Teacher Edition includes “Keys to Legibility,” which provides educators with additional guidance for evaluating and scoring student performance. These pages offer educator tips for all four keys to legibility. For example, the Teacher Edition states, “Spacing describes the space between the letters, words, and sentences.” The tip also suggests that educators model this concept for students.

Also in grade 1, the Teacher Edition includes scoring information and guidance for the interpretation of student performance. The “Manuscript Evaluation Rubric” in the Teacher Edition guides the educator’s evaluation of students’ handwriting for correct shape, size, spacing, and slant using a four-point scale. The rubric has four rating categories: “Proficient,” “Satisfactory,” “Developing,” and “Emergent.” The rubric provides further guidance and describes the criteria for each rating. For example, under the shape category, the rubric defines “Proficient” as “all of the letters are the Zaner-Bloser style.” The rubric lists “Satisfactory” as “most of the letters are in the Zaner-Bloser style.” Additional guidance is provided in the Teacher Edition’s “Evaluation” section, which states, “Use the criteria listed to determine the students’ level of handwriting proficiency on a particular assignment.” The guide provides feedback that students can easily understand. For example, “Make sure your D is sitting on the baseline.”

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

The grade 1 Teacher Edition provides guidance on how to use the supplemental program to address student performance trends. For instance, the “Evaluation” section provides guidance for students who are determined to need improvement. The guidance states, “To improve letterforms, have the student practice writing the letter both in isolation and within words and sentences.” The materials also direct the educator to provide additional basic instruction and practice, then to look for tips on the page with the initial teaching steps. In addition, the material guides the educator in giving specific feedback to students on their handwriting, such as, “Make sure your D is sitting on the baseline.”

The grade 1 Teacher Edition also provides guidance in the “Corrective Strategies for Manuscript Letters” section, which offers suggestions for giving corrective feedback to students. Educators can provide constructive feedback as they evaluate and discuss performance assessments with students. For example, educators can mark three dots to represent the beginning, middle, and end of the letter, and have students use the dots as a guide to form the letters correctly. Corrective strategies also include visual examples of potential difficulties a student might encounter, an example and a non-example for problem areas, as well as possible feedback from the educator.

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.

Grade 1 materials provide educators with a “Record of Student’s Handwriting Skills,” a resource they can use to track students’ progress as they work through the program. This tool lists all essential skills taught in the program, and allows the educator or student to check whether a skill needs improvement or demonstrates mastery. The directions for the “Record of Student’s Handwriting Skills” instruct the educator to make a copy for each student and to mark whether the student needs more work or has mastered the skill. Educators should review the list throughout the year and check for mastery when the student demonstrates it.

In addition to the “Record of Student’s Handwriting Skills” checklist, the grade 1 Teacher Edition provides students with a way to practice and track their progress and growth online. Students access the “Zaner-Bloser Handwriting” tool in the My ZB Portal, in which they practice proper letter formation and review basic strokes. After they practice, students can capture a digital image of their work and revisit it later in their “Handwriting Portfolio.” This portfolio helps students track their progress as they evaluate their growth. Students earn achievements by completing “free-write” and trace activities and by saving snapshots to their portfolios.

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 grade 1 Teacher Edition provides educators with guidance for differentiated instruction and activities for students who have not yet reached proficiency in grade-level skills. Throughout the program, educators have multiple opportunities to find activities and guidance to reinforce skills students have not yet mastered. For example, in the “Corrective Strategies for Manuscript Letters” section, the materials direct educators to use specific instructional strategies to address letter-formation errors for students who have not yet reached proficiency. The guide includes corrective strategies, such as, “Have students trace the pull-down straight stroke and then connect dots placed at appropriate widths on the headline and baseline.” This guidance helps educators use simple corrective statements to help struggling students address common handwriting issues.

Furthermore, the grade 1 Teacher Edition offers “Teacher Tips” that address students who struggle. Each tip provides guidance or an activity to target a skill students might be struggling with. For instance, one “Teacher Tip” in unit 4 emphasizes the importance of students being able to write letters and words automatically. The tip suggests that educators ask students to demonstrate correct letter formation by closing their eyes and using sky-writing to form letters. Another “Teacher Tip” in unit 2 highlights the importance of authentic handwriting activities as it explains that too much practice writing letters in isolation can be discouraging. Finally, if a student struggles with handwriting duration, the “Teacher Tip” in unit 4 suggests that educators focus on students’ sitting positions during handwriting so they will write better, more comfortably, and not tire as easily. The materials explain that “both arms should rest on the desk, with feet flat on the floor and their hips touching the back of the chair.”

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 grade 1 Teacher Edition lessons include “Writing in the Content Areas” callouts that educators can use to differentiate instruction for students who have already met grade-level handwriting skills. For example, in unit 3, an activity integrates science content to help students refine their skills through an authentic writing task. To supply background knowledge, educators point out an apple tree in a picture to explain the life cycle. Students then draw a picture for each step in the cycle to support visualization and connections. Additionally, proficient students complete an explanatory exercise by labeling drawings or writing each step in their own words. Another unit 3 “Writing in the Content Areas” callout directs students to create and write original tongue twisters with the target letters S, B, P, and U. This activity provides additional opportunities for students to apply handwriting skills in an authentic writing context. The task incorporates phonological awareness and oral language skills in reading and language arts. These activities integrate handwriting practice with brainstorming and oral sentence construction, which extends the daily lesson presented to all students.

In addition to the opportunities in the daily lessons through “Writing in the Content Areas,” the grade 1 Teacher Edition suggests assigning “Handwriting Activity Cards” to provide differentiation and opportunities for students to practice skills independently. For example, card 3 has students use clay to make a thin, long line. The card then provides a letter or numeral model for students to use as a reference as they form that letter or numeral. Card 4 has students use chenille stems to form letters and place them on top of a model letter. Students use these cards in centers, small groups, or independently for extra practice or enrichment.

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

The grade 1 Teacher Edition provides specific guidance for educators to support students who receive special education services. First, the materials include a section titled “When Should I Call the Occupational Therapist?” that highlights ways the educator and the therapist can work together to support struggling students. For example, “An occupational therapist can help identify and treat underlying problems, facilitate development of handwriting skills, and help devise accommodations to enable the student to participate in classroom activities successfully.” The second page provides a checklist of different scenarios that the educator uses to assess instructional effects and determine when to consult with an occupational therapist. For instance, the checklist directs the educator to document interventions and outcomes. One scenario notes that after opportunities to refine pencil control, the student continues to demonstrate poor pencil control. The checklist identifies this outcome as an indicator that consultation with an occupational therapist may be appropriate.

In addition to the therapist consult checklist, the grade 1 Teacher Edition includes “Occupational Therapist Tips.” These tips, found on the lesson pages throughout the Teacher Edition, help educators support students who receive special education services. One example in unit 2 recommends techniques for adapting instruction for foundational skills, such as pencil grip. In unit 2, educators place colorful tape on a student’s pencil as a visual guide to show proper finger placement. This targeted recommendation helps ensure that the supplemental program meets the needs of diverse learners, and such adaptations support the development of legible handwriting. Additionally, the materials offer tips for students who need fine motor development to improve their writing. In unit 3, the “Occupational Therapist Tips” recommend that students practice using their fingertips to push small objects through openings. These tasks help students develop the precise finger movements needed for legible letter formation. By providing these options, the materials help educators adapt instructional delivery. The tips provide practical strategies for use with students who receive special education services.

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 grade 1 Teacher Edition provides guidance and prompts to help educators model and explain handwriting skills through a “Model,” “Practice,” and “Evaluate” lesson cycle. Each section of the lesson cycle includes explicit prompts to support educators. For example, in unit 2, the materials provide scripted language for a “circle song” to reinforce stroke sequences while modeling the lowercase o. When educators introduce basic strokes, the materials give direct instructions for narrating formation as students draw vertical lines. The program also provides explicit prompts for educators to lead students through sky-writing exercises. The materials include explicit prompts for educators to model letter formation and discuss physical features with students. Each lesson includes similar prompts throughout the lesson cycle.

The grade 1 Teacher Edition also provides educators with additional “Teacher Tips” to guide them as they model and explain the skills taught. These specialized tips align with the skill taught on the page, and offer additional ideas for whole-class or individual work to help students learn the new skill. The “Teacher Tips” also include ways to review specific techniques and to recognize and overcome misconceptions. For example, in unit 1, the “Teacher Tips” explain that educators should write several diagonal lines on the guidelines on the board, then have students identify the type of line called out, such as “slant right” or “slant up.” The tips included throughout the grade 1 Handwriting program provide additional guidance for educators to review techniques, address misconceptions, and model handwriting skills.

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 grade 1 Teacher Edition outlines a variety of instructional approaches for effective delivery and facilitation. One approach the program offers to help educators is “Teacher Tips,” which educators find throughout many of the lessons in the program. For example, one tip in unit 1 explains that educators can have students evaluate their letters using the models in the guidelines. Educators note that tall letters could be like adults and short letters like children. Another tip in unit 3 explains that if students make jagged lines when they try to write circles, educators can provide small handfuls of clay and have students roll them between their curved palms to make smooth shapes.

The virtual tools available in the My ZB Portal, and via a QR code, offer another way to support effective instruction, such as the Animated Letter Model. The educator can use this tool to model letter formation for students. The materials also provide Practice Masters for students to practice skills, and practice master sheets include a QR code that students can use to access a digital tutor for the practice 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 grade 1 Teacher Edition “Fast, Efficient Instruction” section provides whole-group, independent, and at-home practice recommendations that educators can use as they implement the program. For instance, the “Program Components” section notes that the practice master sheets “can be used in small groups, centers, or for homework.” Each lesson design includes whole-group instruction in the “Model” section. Students complete the practice portion independently, then meet with the educator to self-evaluate their work.

The activity cards included with grade 1 materials support the program’s implementation. Educators assign these activities to students to supplement the program. Educators assign the cards to small groups, for independent work, or during center time.

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 grade 1 Teacher Edition includes guidance for educators on how to provide linguistic accommodations for various levels of language proficiency, as well as how to encourage students to use increasingly academic vocabulary. In addition, most lessons include “Emergent Bilingual Students” sidebars for additional guidance. For example, unit 1 includes an “Emergent Bilingual Students” sidebar that encourages educators to use objects with the same initial sound, such as paper, pencil, and paint, then display the corresponding letter card to help students build sound–symbol correspondence. Another example in unit 3 focuses on multiple-meaning words and explains them with the example of the verb took. The educator writes three sentences on the board and acts out the meaning of each. Another example in unit 4 explains that languages have different rules for using uppercase letters and reminds students when to use uppercase letters in English.

“Emergent Bilingual Students” tips appear throughout lessons in the grade 1 Teacher Edition. These tips provide guidance on multiple subjects related to linguistic accommodations, including vocabulary, compound words, cognates, capitalization of proper nouns, and digraphs, and encourage students to use more academic language. However, these tips do not include guidance for educators on how to provide linguistic accommodations differentiated by language proficiency levels.

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 instructional pages in the grade 1 Teacher Edition include specialized tips that guide instruction on the lesson’s skills. The “Emergent Bilingual Students” sidebars offer ways to reinforce English language learning skills, such as reading, writing, and speaking. The sidebars also include ideas to help students from diverse cultural backgrounds understand lesson concepts. For example, in unit 1, the materials provide a tip for associating diagonal lines with a playground slide: educators draw a picture of a slide on the board, then a diagonal line, and explain how they are the same.

Additionally, tips for educators who work with emergent bilingual (EB) students appear in most lessons throughout the grade 1 Teacher Edition. These tips help accommodate EB students’ assignments. For instance, the “Program Components” section provides implementation guidance to help educators integrate the materials into state-approved bilingual and ESL programs. The materials explain that green sidebars embedded throughout the lesson plans support differentiated instruction by offering targeted assistance for EB students. These sidebars provide specific linguistic accommodations designed to help educators make the handwriting curriculum accessible to all students, and to provide the facilitation guidance needed for successful implementation in various bilingual and ESL settings.

The grade 1 Teacher Edition includes a “Handwriting Instruction and Emergent Bilingual Students” section that provides educators with information, such as, “skills acquired under one language can support learning skills in a second language system.” The materials also state that “handwriting performance in one language directly connects with handwriting performance in another language.” In addition, the section includes information about Zaner-Bloser La escritura as a parallel instruction to the English program.

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 does not apply because the program is not designed for dual language immersion (DLI) programs.

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 grade 1 Teacher Edition includes explicit, systematic handwriting instruction materials that follow a “Model,” “Practice,” and “Evaluate” sequence throughout each lesson. This structure provides a direct approach to teaching handwriting skills. For instance, during the “Model” phase, educators demonstrate letter formation and ask scripted questions during the demonstration. Educators use these prompts to identify shared characteristics, such as diagonal strokes. This instruction focuses on correct stroke sequences for students.

In addition, the grade 1 Teacher Edition provides explicit, systematic handwriting instruction aligned with grade-level TEKS. These materials follow a “Model,” “Practice,” and “Evaluate” sequence throughout each lesson that provides a direct approach to teaching handwriting skills. First, the lesson objective is stated clearly. One objective in unit 3 states, “Practice writing I and L.” In the first step, “Model,” the educator explains the skill and uses various modeling techniques, including guidelines on the board to demonstrate correct letter formation. The Teacher Edition also directs the educator to use the Animated Letter Model and sky-writing to model letter formation. In the “Practice” step, students complete the practice assignment independently. The last step, “Evaluate,” involves students self-evaluating their work. During this step, the educator guides the evaluation by asking questions such as, “Are your pull-down straight strokes straight up and down?”

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.

In grade 1, the Teacher Edition and student materials facilitate the development and refinement of skills. These resources integrate guided and independent practice within the lesson cycle. The “Program Components” section outlines a cycle that includes visual, auditory, and kinesthetic tasks. This structure exposes students to target letters through multiple handwriting modalities. During the initial stages of practice, the Student Workbook includes directions and letter models with arrows that show the stroke sequence and serve as visual scaffolds. For example, in a lesson on lowercase o, students begin with guided practice through sky-writing. Students also trace letter models to apply multisensory learning methods.

In the student activity pages, instruction transitions to independent practice. Students progress from tracing to writing the letter independently to build automaticity, then later write the target letter within words to reinforce learning. To refine skills, the materials include prompts for students to evaluate their own work. During a lesson in unit 3, students identify their “best o” by checking for proper closure and baseline placement. The materials provide practice masters for students to use at home, with tasks designed to reinforce skills outside the supplemental program. These methods support student progress throughout the curriculum.

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.

In grade 1, the Teacher Edition includes guidance for educators to provide corrective feedback. The materials also provide reteach strategies for literacy skills based on student performance. At the end of the Teacher Edition, the program includes corrective strategies for manuscript letter formation. This resource provides visual comparisons of correct and incorrect letter forms to help educators identify and address common student errors. These tools serve as adjusting feedback and quick reteach strategies to help students refine legibility within the supplemental program.

The materials provide directions and recommendations for educators to deliver feedback to help students refine their handwriting skills, including instructional strategies for teaching straight strokes. To help students form “slide-right” strokes for the letter I, educators facilitate guided practice and use scaffolds, such as tracing the “pull-down” straight stroke. Students connect dots placed at specified widths on the headline and baseline. While students perform these tasks, educators narrate stroke descriptions to provide verbal cues. This structure allows educators to identify features of student execution and offer feedback on directionality and stroke width in handwriting.