Progress Learning 4th Grade Reading (TEKS)

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 Elementary Reading Language Arts (RLA) Implementation Guide acts as a supplement to the school’s current tier-one instructional materials. The guide states that educators should use the materials to support reading comprehension throughout the school year.

The materials include an article titled “What is Progress Learning?” in the How-To Guides. The article states that the program’s intended purpose is to provide a solution for standards-aligned assessments and remediation, designed to drive results. Additionally, within the article is a video that describes the supplemental program’s purpose.

The Elementary RLA Implementation Guide outlines how to use the guide to provide high-quality lessons and learning tools to help students master reading standards. Specifically, the introductory overview explains that each grade-level set of lesson plans follows an intentional sequence to support reading comprehension development throughout the school year.

Evaluation for 1.1b
Materials include guidance on how to appropriately use the supplemental program to support an existing core reading and language arts program.

The grade 4 RLA scope and sequence outlines the program’s support for tier-one instruction through the use of targeted question banks that enable educators to focus instruction on specific standards-based learning needs. The document further highlights the flexibility of the resource for implementation within whole-group reteach opportunities as well as independent learning station models.

The Elementary RLA Implementation Guide provides guidance on implementing the lesson plans, which are intentionally sequenced to support reading comprehension throughout the school year and to easily supplement existing tier-one instructional materials. Also included in the implementation guide are sample lesson plans, with guidance on how to use them to support an existing program.

The grade 4 RLA scope and sequence demonstrates the program’s alignment to core literacy instruction by incorporating standards-focused question sets that assist educators in identifying and addressing targeted areas of student need. The structure of this resource supports instructional flexibility across both educator-led intervention settings and student-centered independent practice environments.

Evaluation for 1.1c
Materials include a scope and sequence outlining student expectations, skills taught, and a rationale for the design of the scope and sequence.

The materials include a scope and sequence outlining student expectations through sequenced lessons organized by literacy focus. The sequence progresses from foundational skills, such as word meaning, to literary analysis lessons including characters and plot development before advancing to informational text lessons, such as argumentative text. This progression demonstrates alignment to grade-level reading and language arts expectations.

Included in the grade 4 RLA scope and sequence, which outlines the skills taught across lessons, is a rationale and scaffolding for each skill. For example, in unit 1, “Foundational Skills,” the rationale for word meaning is: “Students must first learn to use context clues and print/digital resources to determine the meaning, pronunciation, and syllabication of unfamiliar words to access any text.”

The grade 4 RLA scope and sequence includes a detailed matrix that aligns state standards with specific lessons. Specifically, the course organizes instruction to support the development of foundational comprehension, literary elements, and vocabulary skills before progressing to more complex skills such as text features, informational text comprehension, and the evaluation of argumentative texts.

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

The supplemental reading program’s grade 4 RLA scope and sequence includes guidance and specific time allotments for each portion of a lesson, using the 5E Instructional Model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate).

The grade 4 RLA scope and sequence provides guidance on time requirements for each lesson. Time allotments show the total number of minutes for each lesson, including a breakdown for how long each section requires for effective implementation. Lesson totals range from 105–250 minutes.

The materials include explicit time allocations and teaching instructions for every part of a lesson within the lesson plans. Specifically, the lesson structure breaks learning blocks into a 20-minute introduction, a 50-minute discovery phase, and a 10-minute explanation block. The sequence moves from these tasks into a 25-minute application window and a 20-minute assessment period.

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

The Elementary RLA Implementation Guide provides clear educator supports, including daily lesson objectives, state standards, and vocabulary words. For example, the “Overview” section details the specific classroom materials and group settings required to complete each task. Furthermore, the guide includes step-by-step instructions for using digital slideshows, instructional videos, and student handouts.

The supplemental reading comprehension program provides educators with structured instructional support by integrating the 5E Instructional Model throughout lesson implementation. In addition to outlining the components of the framework, the resource offers a rationale explaining how the model promotes engagement and the development of deeper comprehension.

The “Implementation and Best Practices” section of the How-To Guides has guidance to support educators implementing the materials for students. The section titled “What are the best practices for implementation?” includes a link to the K–12 Full-Year Implementation Guide and links to Quick Start guides.

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

The materials include supports for families in both Spanish and English with suggestions on supporting the progress of their student. In the “Family Guide” section, the communication materials provide clear summaries for individual literacy lessons in both English and Spanish. For example, the overview layout connects each classroom skill to a simple home learning advisory block. The guidelines move from classroom topics into active tasks that families can practice during daily routines.

The supplemental program developed to reinforce reading comprehension extends support to families through multiple home-to-school connection resources. The materials include lesson summaries, QR code access to instructional slide presentations, and guided family support prompts designed to encourage literacy engagement at home. The resource further provides bilingual guidance for families to support purposeful reading conversations in both English and Spanish.

The home technology resources provide guidance on accessing and navigating the digital learning platform in both English and Spanish. Specifically, the materials include instructions for logging into the platform, accessing assignments, viewing instructional videos, and monitoring student progress. The materials provide additional guidance on reviewing standard mastery information, individualized study plans, and explanations for missed practice items.

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

In the Elementary RLA Implementation Guide, the materials provide multiple assessment types designed to reinforce literacy instruction, monitor mastery of state standards, and support targeted intervention. The materials include formative worksheets, “SuperSheets,” and interactive Study Plans that evaluate skills taught within individual lessons and provide opportunities for additional practice and progress monitoring.

The How-To Guides article “What types of diagnostic tests are available in Progress Learning?” states that the multiple assessment types include formative, summative, diagnostic pretests and posttests, and state practice tests.

The diagnostic pretests and posttests consist of two questions per the TEKS. The materials state, “Administering this test will ensure that teachers will see data for every standard in the Teacher Progress Report.”

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

The Elementary RLA Implementation Guide describes each assessment type and provides guidance for implementation under the heading “Assessment Types and Implementation Guide.” This chart outlines the assessment types included throughout the program, identifies each assessment by name, explains its purpose and description, and provides instructional guidance for educators.

The chart additionally states that “Pre/Post Diagnostic Assessments” serve to generate Focus Areas, which are individualized learning paths based on performance. The purpose of these diagnostic assessments is to determine individual student and class mastery of the TEKS.

The How-To Guides article “What types of diagnostic tests are available in Progress Learning?” also provides the definition and intended purpose of the assessments included in the supplemental program.

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

In the Elementary RLA Implementation Guide, the program provides clear administration procedures for each assessment type. For example, formative worksheets include instructions identifying when educators should administer assessments during the “Evaluate” phase of a lesson. The program also provides administration guidance for online diagnostic assessments. For example, the materials recommend administering the diagnostics across two class periods.

The materials additionally provide explicit directions in the How-To Guides article “What types of diagnostic tests are available in Progress Learning?” for assigning summative assessments to students through their Student Dashboard.

Furthermore, the “Pre/Post Diagnostic Assessment” table provides guidance on when to administer the assessments during the school year, recommendations for time allotment, and methods for measuring growth between beginning- and end-of-year assessment results.

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

The materials include “Grade 4 RLA STAAR Practice Assessment: Version 3,” containing questions with varying levels of complexity labeled as Level 1 (Recall), Level 2 (Skill/Concept), and Level 3 (Strategic Thinking). Students answer the questions using multiple modalities such as multiple-choice, drop-down menus, click-on sentences within the text, and multiple checkboxes.

The grade 4 assessment examples progress from foundational recall tasks to higher-order analytical and inferential-thinking tasks. For example, a question asks students to determine the meaning of the word intentionally using context clues, while another requires students to analyze why a paragraph is important to the plot by identifying how it contributes to the development of the story problem.

Additionally, in the Assessment Builder Guide, the “Question Quick Pick” feature allows educators to create assessments that vary in length and question types, accommodating varying levels of complexity.

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

The materials include the “Progress Monitoring” How-To Guides article, which explains how educators can view and analyze student assessment data at the individual, class, and standards levels. Additionally, the article outlines reporting tools that identify mastery, performance trends, and standards requiring intervention, and it guides the use of these reports to support instructional decisions and monitor progress.

The “Assessment Types and Implementation Guidance” section of the Elementary RLA Implementation Guide explains how assessment results determine student mastery, reteach needs, and monitor progress. The guide states that formative “SuperSheets” provide item rationales to inform reteach opportunities or the need for small-group instruction, directing educators to use these rationales to plan small- or whole-group reteach.

The materials include an Assessment Comparison Report to measure student growth between assessments. The state practice assessment guidance also directs educators to analyze standards identified as “Approaching Mastery” or “Critical Need for Study” within Focus Areas. These supports provide educators with explicit direction for interpreting assessment performance data and using results to guide instructional decisions.

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

The materials include the How-To Guides article “How do I assign remediation or suggested practice after an assessment is completed?” The article explains how educators can assign targeted remediation and practice activities based on student assessment results. Educators use assessment performance data to identify standards requiring additional support and assign remediation through the platform’s instructional tools.


The program includes Focus Areas, which are individualized learning plans that identify standards where students need additional support based on cumulative assessments and activity data. The materials explain that standards are identified as either “Critical Need of Study” or “Approaching Mastery,” allowing educators and students to focus instruction on specific performance gaps.

The materials provide explicit directions for educators to view assessment results within the “Progress Monitoring and Reporting” section of the How-To Guides, specifically under the “How does a teacher view assessment results?” menu tab. This section provides scoring information to help educators better understand student results.

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

In the K–12 Full-Year Implementation Guide, the materials explain how Focus Areas create individualized learning plans based on student performance data and standards mastery. The materials also include student goal-setting templates and Study Plan tools that allow students to monitor their own progress and set individualized learning goals.

The K–12 Full-Year Implementation Guide provides educators with guidance for monitoring student achievement through the section titled “Track Progress and Growth Using Reports.” The materials include reporting tools such as Item Analysis Reports, Progress-Monitoring Reports, and Diagnostic Reports to support educators in analyzing student performance and academic growth over time.

The How-To Guides article “How do I see and use the Assessment Comparison Report?” offers guidance for measuring student growth within a single instructional unit or grading period. The article explains that educators can use the Assessment Builder to create and assign a unit pre-assessment, a mid-unit assessment, and a final unit assessment in order to track and monitor student progress throughout the instructional cycle.

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 include educator guidance for assigning targeted intervention based on student performance. The How-To Guides article “How do I assign Quick-Click Remediation?” directs educators to identify students who need remediation through the Results Report or Progress Report; select one, two, or three weak standards; choose the students who need additional support; and assign targeted practice based on identified areas of need.

Lesson 7, “Central Idea” provides clear educator guidance in the “Additional Activities for Intervention and Enrichment” section for differentiated activities designed for students who have not yet reached proficiency in grade‑level skills. Students are specifically referred to as “struggling learners,” and additional extension activities are provided to assist with differentiation.

The materials also provide Focus Areas, which automatically generate targeted practice for students performing below proficiency based on their performance data. Additionally, educators can differentiate instruction by creating customized Study Plans for an entire class or selected small groups and assigning above- or below-grade-level standards to address students’ instructional needs.

Evaluation for 3.1b
If applicable for the stated purpose, materials include educator guidance for differentiated instruction and activities for students who have demonstrated proficiency in grade-level skills.

The materials include guidance for extending learning as evidenced by the How-To Guides article “What is the Study Plan and how do students get started?” The article states that students complete standards-aligned videos and practice questions, earn mastery for each standard, and “move on to learn something new” after demonstrating mastery. The Study Plan also tracks mastery by standard, helping educators identify students who are ready for additional learning opportunities.

The “Additional Activities for Intervention and Enrichment” section of Lesson 7, “Central Idea” provides clear educator guidance for differentiated activities designed for students who have already demonstrated proficiency in grade‑level skills. The materials refer to these students as “advanced learners,” and additional extension activities are provided to assist with differentiation.

The material’s implementation guide also includes educator guidance for additional enrichment activities. The section provides suggested activities, guidance for student grouping, and guidance for appropriate timing of assignments.

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

While the materials provide accommodation supports such as text-to-speech tools and other general accommodations, they do not include explicit guidance for educators on how to select, implement, or monitor specially designed instruction aligned to individual student needs or Individualized Education Program (IEP) requirements as stated in the indicator guidance statement.

The materials identify accommodations available within the platform for students receiving special education services. However, the materials do not include explicit educator guidance for selecting, implementing, or monitoring specially designed instruction based on individual student needs, IEP goals, accommodations, or service requirements.

The program does include tools that allow educators to create customized assessments with accommodations. However, the materials do not provide specific instructional guidance for adapting content, methodology, or instructional delivery to support students receiving 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 materials include direct prompts and support for educators within each lesson plan. For example, the “Explore” section provides a script for using the Teacher Slideshow. The script includes step-by-step directions with each corresponding slide number.

The lesson 7, “Central Idea,” slideshow provides speaker notes to prompt the educator to use a visual to explain to the students that they will be detectives. While reading, they will determine how the supporting evidence “legs” supports the central idea “tabletop.” As without the legs, the table, or the author’s point, cannot stand.

The materials provide another example in lesson 3 in the “Vocabulary” section. The lesson prompts the educator to say, “Before we read, let’s learn some words from our story, which
takes place long ago. The first word is tallow.” The lesson continues to provide direct prompts for the educator to introduce new vocabulary.

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

Lesson plans include a “Grouping” section suggesting the most effective delivery for each component of the lesson. Lessons also include a variety of instructional approaches, including whole group discussions and opportunities for student discourse with turn and talk.

The materials include a “Partner Talk Routines” section, which provides explicit procedures for implementing structured collaborative discussions during instruction. The document outlines multiple instructional approaches, such as turn and talk, Partner A/B roles, and Think-Pair-Retell. Each routine includes implementation guidance, prompts, and sentence stems that support educators in facilitating academic discussions and collaborative learning opportunities.

The “Background Knowledge” section within each lesson includes guidance for educators to provide visual resources or examples, offer opportunities for turn and talks, answer guided questions, or elicit choral responses.

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

The Elementary RLA Implementation Guide outlines recommended groupings and formats for each phase of the 5E Instructional Model. The guide explains how to use whole-group, partner, independent, and combined structures in the “Engage,” “Explore,” “Explain,” “Elaborate,” and “Evaluate” phases. It also presents options for whole-class, partner, and independent instruction.

Additionally, the materials provide structured opportunities for partner, whole-group, and individual learning throughout each lesson. For example, lesson plans guide educators to assign Partner A/B roles, engage students in collaborative discussions, and facilitate whole-class conversations to support student learning.

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.

In the “Explore” section of the Teacher Guide, the “Emergent Bilingual Students” section provides educator guidance on differentiating linguistic accommodations based on student language proficiency level. Guidance includes supports such as visuals and gestures (pre-production); sentence frames (beginning); sentence stems and partner discussions (intermediate); use of academic language in full responses (high intermediate); and independent, elaborated analysis (advanced).

Additionally, the slideshow instructions in the “Explore” section of the Teacher Guide shows how students can use gestures, context clues, academic vocabulary, and language registers to understand content and communicate during lessons. The guide also specifies that educators receive prompts, guiding questions, cooperative learning tools, and instructional strategies aligned with lesson activities.

For example, in lesson 5, “Poetry Elements,” the Teacher Guide sidebar offers guidance on providing linguistic accommodations at various levels. For guided practice, intermediate students complete a sentence frame to create a simile, such as: “The school bell is like a ___.” Beginning students circle the words “like” and “as” in simile examples.

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.

How-To Guides articles provide information about Spanish-language resources and accommodations available within the platform, including translated content and accessibility features for students. For example, the “Accommodations and Accessibility” section of the program’s digital How-To Guides states that the program provides educational tools for emergent bilingual (EB) students in the form of Spanish translation features. However, the materials do not provide educator guidance for implementing the supplemental program within a state-approved bilingual education or ESL program.

The “ELPS Implementation” section describes language objectives for each lesson and highlights the support offered to EB students through interactive, cooperative learning focused on general and academic language practice and second-language acquisition. However, it does not include guidance for educators on using materials within a state-approved bilingual education or ESL 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 is not applicable because the program is not designed for dual language immersion (DLI) programs.

Evaluation for 8.1a
[English reading language arts] Materials include opportunities for students to read high-quality, grade-level, complex texts as appropriate for the program's stated purpose, in a variety of text types (e.g., literary, informational). [Spanish reading language arts] Materials include opportunities for students to read high-quality, grade-level, complex authentic or transadapted Spanish texts as appropriate for the program's stated purpose, in a variety of text types (e.g., literary, informational).

The materials include opportunities for students in every lesson. For example, in lesson 9, students read a passage titled “The Adobe Homes of the Southwest.” Through this passage, students generate inquiry questions, make personal and social connections, and use text evidence to draw inferences about architectural history, demonstrating interaction with complex informational content appropriate for grade 4. The text’s authentic features — such as domain-specific vocabulary, purposeful text structures, and meaningful content — provide the level of complexity expected in the indicator, ensuring students have opportunities to read and analyze rich informational texts as part of a broader program that includes a variety of text types.

The materials also include an informational reading passage “Cold Deserts,” which presents scientifically accurate content about biomes, hot and cold deserts, plant and animal adaptations, and environmental diversity. Students engage with the text to determine the central idea, analyze supporting evidence, evaluate text features, and examine organizational patterns, requiring interaction with meaningful content rather than isolated skill practice.

In addition, the materials include a variety of texts in the “SuperSheets” provided as formative assessments for the lessons. Students read a variety of complex texts, including drama, argumentative texts, poetry, and informational and literary texts. For example, in the “SuperSheet” titled “A Four Day School Week,” students read an argumentative text and respond to questions regarding the purpose of the text.

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

The materials include the grade 4 RLA Measures of Text Complexity document, which describes a collection of literary and informational texts that vary in genre, structure, vocabulary demands, sentence complexity, and length. For example, in the plot development lesson, there is a text titled “The Midnight Hearth,” a linear chronological text structure, character vs. nature conflict, and a suspenseful survival arc. The author’s purpose lesson uses another text from the list titled “The Flow of Energy in Ecosystems.” The text has a cause-and-effect text structure, declarative sentences to support comprehension of scientific concepts, and real-word application to protect ecosystems.



In lesson 1, “Context Clues,” the narrative-informational text “The Expedition for the Argentum Leaf” blends a fictionalized expedition with scientific fieldwork and documentation processes and incorporates domain-specific vocabulary such as botanist, GPS, and documentation. The text also develops ideas through a chronological sequence of problem-solving and scientific inquiry. In lesson 2, “Characters,” the “Garden on 5th Street” passage moves beyond a literal gardening story to examine themes of community-building, immigrant experiences, and the metaphor of “growing a community.”

The materials include the How-To Guides article and video “How do I build a passage-based test for ELA (English Language Arts)?” in which educators create passage-based assessments using a bank of reading passages available within the platform. The platform searches, filters, and selects passages when building assessments, indicating that multiple reading selections are available for instructional and assessment purposes.

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

Lesson 2, “Characters” includes the text titled “Garden on 5th Street.” This text explores themes of community-building, cross‑generational relationships, and immigrant experiences through the story of a protagonist whose family recently moved from Egypt. The text highlights cultural exchange, belonging, and the ways shared projects—such as a community garden—strengthen neighborhood connections. Across the broader collection, students encounter additional texts that address cultural history, environmental science, civic responsibility, folklore, and Indigenous and Spanish mission history, offering a wide range of perspectives and real‑world contexts.

Additionally, the materials include a historical reading passage that presents multiple perspectives regarding daily life in Texas missions, including the experiences of Spanish friars and Indigenous people. The lesson introduces students to the “Meeting of Two Worlds” and explains that “The Native Americans, like the Coahuiltecans, often joined missions for protection from enemies or for a steady food supply,” while also acknowledging that mission life resulted in significant cultural change. Students analyze differing viewpoints through questions that compare how a Spanish friar and a Coahuiltecan resident might describe mission life. These materials provide culturally relevant historical content and expose students to Indigenous perspectives.

In the “Class Activities” section of the grade 4 “Instructional Resources” page, students read argumentative texts that are relevant and engaging. For instance, students read an argumentative text regarding tablets being better than textbooks and an additional argumentative text regarding why students should have a longer recess.

Evaluation for 8.2a
Materials activate or supply background knowledge.

The Elementary RLA Implementation Guide provides educator guidance for building background knowledge prior to instruction. The guide identifies the “Engage” component of each lesson as an opportunity to activate and assess students’ prior knowledge related to the focus skill.

The “Engage” component of each lesson includes slides and educator prompts for activating background knowledge, including opportunities for student discussion. For example, in lesson 4, “Figurative Language,” the educator says, “Tall tales grew out of the American frontier. Workers—like loggers, railroad builders, and cowboys—sat around fires and told ‘whoppers’ (big lies) to entertain each other. These stories often reflect the diverse cultures of the people who built the country, from African American steeldrivers like John Henry to Mexican Vaqueros.” The educator is then prompted to ask and discuss as a whole group, “Why do you think workers in difficult jobs liked to tell stories about heroes who were impossibly strong?”

Another example is provided in lesson 8, “Author’s Purpose.” “You already know that animals eat plants or other animals to survive. But in nature, food relationships are not simple. Most living things depend on many others for energy. Let’s review these facts before we start reading.” Students then review facts and work with a partner to illustrate a food chain they know.

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

The grade 4 lesson plans include a “Vocabulary” section in the Teacher Guide. This section provides explicit instruction for introducing and reinforcing academic language. The materials support vocabulary instruction by educator-defined definitions, visual supports, discussion prompts, and opportunities for student interaction. Students make personal connections to new words through partner discussions and guided conversations, promoting vocabulary development and meaningful language use within the lesson context.




The materials include vocabulary instruction prior to reading “The Morning Bell.” The materials introduces students to lesson-specific words, including presidio, friar, granary, and agriculture, through definitions, educator explanations, example sentences, and discussion activities before the reading passage begins. For example, educators explain that a presidio is a fort built near a mission for protection and create a “Presidio Pose” to develop a mental image of the word while discussing its purpose within a mission community. Students also learn that a friar is a religious leader in a mission and connect the term to people in their own lives who teach them skills and rules.

In lesson 6, “Drama,” educators pre-teach vocabulary words that will be read in the play. The educator reads the word quetzal aloud and has students repeat the word. Then the educator reads the definition and example sentence aloud from the slide and explains that the feathers of the quetzal bird were used like money. To check for understanding of the vocabulary word, the students infer if a character in the play would be upset if they lost a quetzal feather.

Evaluation for 8.2c
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction on using contextual analysis to determine the word meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary in texts in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

In lesson 1, “Word Meaning,” the materials include the Teacher Slideshow, direct instruction, and prompts for the educator to encourage students to use context clues to find the meaning of unfamiliar words. The clues can be within the sentence or beyond the sentence that contains the unfamiliar word. Students look for clues within a sentence to determine the meaning of the word solitary. Students use the clues “hunted alone” and “preferred to be by himself” to figure out the meaning of the word.

The materials include educator-directed instruction that defines context clues, models how to use context within and beyond a sentence, and guides students in determining word meanings using textual evidence. The educator explicitly explains that, “Sometimes when you are reading, you can’t stop and look in the dictionary every time you don’t know the meaning of a word. You have to use your context clues. These are clues in the text that help you determine the meaning of the word” and models how descriptive words within a sentence help determine the meaning of the unfamiliar word luminous.



The materials also include explicit instruction during vocabulary support for EB students. Students “highlight the ‘clue words’ around it in green to show they understand the definition through context.” During comprehension instruction, the educator explains that when understanding breaks down, readers can “look for clues nearby.”

Evaluation for 8.2d
Materials include opportunities for students to practice using contextual analysis to determine word meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary in texts in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The materials include the grade 4 reading Study Plan activities, in which students independently apply contextual analysis strategies across multiple response formats, including multiple-choice questions, multiple-response items, drag-and-drop activities, and other technology-enhanced tasks. If a student selects an incorrect answer, a pop-up tutorial provides immediate corrective feedback and instruction, giving additional opportunities to apply the skills before proceeding. Upon completion, students receive a score and may review questions, answer choices, and responses to support reflection and continued learning.

Included in guided practice are activities for students to analyze a sentence, identify the contextual information that supports meaning, and discuss with a partner how the clue helps determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word. Students continue practicing contextual analysis by identifying definition, synonym, antonym, and example clues in multiple sentences and determining word meanings from those clues.

Additionally, lessons provide opportunities for collaborative and independent application through Think-Pair-Share discussions, a Study Plan, independent worksheets, and a “SuperSheet” assessment requiring students to apply contextual analysis strategies independently.

Evaluation for 8.3a
Materials include systematic and explicit (direct) instruction on reading comprehension skills at multiple levels (i.e., literal, inferential, evaluative) in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The program includes the 5E Instructional Model. In lesson 3, “Plot Development,” educators use the 5E model to explain that the climax is the turning point in a story where the character experiences the most intense moment. The materials ask the literal question “If you were watching an action movie, what kind of scene would usually be the climax?” Continuing the “Explain” portion of the lesson, the educator describes the falling action in a story as occurring right after the climax and shows the results of the character’s choices. The materials ask an inferential question, ”Does the story feel more or less tense during the falling actions compared to the climax?”

In the grade 4, lesson 5, “Poetry Elements,” the 5E Instructional Model is followed with the associated grouping and materials to foster systematic and explicit instruction on reading comprehension skills at multiple levels. The educator says, “Now, listen to this version. Notice how the ‘voice’ changes. The narrator is like a camera on the wall, watching the character but not acting as them,” and asks, “Instead of using ‘I’ or ‘me,’ what words does this narrator use to talk about the character?” (Literal) On the student handout, students circle the key pronouns to show that the poem is written in the third-person point of view. Afterwards, students click the screen to view the pronouns circled in the poem. The educator asks, “If we changed ‘He smiles’ to ‘I smile,’ how would that change the feeling of the poem?” (Evaluative) and “Does the speaker have to be the person who actually wrote the poem?” (Evaluative) The educator explains that the voice in poetry is the “attitude” we hear. The educator continues explaining words that provoke energetic voices, while other words can portray a gentle voice. To check for understanding, the educator asks, “If a poet uses slang and short, punchy lines, does the voice feel formal or casual?” (Inferential)

The lesson includes labeled questions such as: The literal, “What is the conflict in this story?” The inferential, “What might be your purpose for reading a story about a character who faces a problem?” The evaluative, “Can you think of a time when you went on a journey … ? How did it make you feel?” The Question Reference Sheet categorizes each question type, demonstrating intentional planning to ensure students practice comprehension at varying levels of complexity.

Evaluation for 8.3b
Materials include opportunities for students to practice reading comprehension skills at multiple levels (i.e., literal, inferential, evaluative) with a variety of grade-level texts in alignment with the grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The materials include the “Check for Understanding” activity, which requires students to answer questions identified across multiple comprehension levels after reading an informational text. Students respond to literal questions such as, “What is the central idea of the entire passage?” and “How did the text features help you make and confirm predictions about the passage?” Students engage in inferential thinking by explaining how photographs support information presented in the text and answer evaluative questions such as, “Why did the author choose a compare and contrast text structure for this passage?” and “If an author removed the pronunciation guides, how would that affect a student reading this aloud to the class?” The informational passage provides additional practice about hot and cold deserts. Students answer questions related to the central idea, and use evidence from the passage to compare and contrast text structure, photographs, text features, and pronunciation guides.

The materials include “Independent Practice” features available through the program’s Study Plan as well as videos and practice question sets organized by subject, domain, and standard. The How-To Guides article explains that “most standards have instructional videos and practice questions that are completed in sets of 10,” and that students may attempt practice activities “an unlimited number of times until they’ve demonstrated mastery of the standard.” The Study Plan organizes practice by subject area, domain, and standard and provides students with repeated access to standards-based practice activities. The article states that each subject contains “all domains and standards delineated so that students can see their progress standard by standard” and that practice questions are “randomly generated each time” from the program’s item bank.

The Elementary RLA Implementation Guide includes an explanation of the stated purpose for the resource as a supplement to the school’s current tier-one instructional materials. Educators should use the materials to support reading comprehension throughout the school year.