Step Up to the TEKS 4th ELAR

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 Step Up to the TEKS Supplemental Program for grade 4 provides structured opportunities for instruction and practice, in alignment with the TEKS for ELAR. The materials are designed to support students who require extra reinforcement or extended practice in reading and writing. The program includes components for targeted remediation such as scaffolded guided practice and structured review plus opportunities for acceleration and enrichment through extended practice via TEKS-aligned digital lessons.

The Teacher Guide states that the materials provide additional instruction and practice on specific grade-level skills for all students. The guide explains that the program’s purpose is to “provide extra reinforcement or extra practice in reading and writing.”

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 “Integration of the Step Up to the TEKS Supplemental Program” section of the Implementation Guide provides an introductory explanation of how the program can support educators’ tier-one core instruction. The guide offers information on flexible lessons that allow educators to use materials in small-group instruction, tutoring sessions, or supplementary homework assignments. Each activity connects to a specific TEKS, which allows the educator to quickly identify which lessons or activities they can use to address specific areas of need. The guide also provides information about embedded formative assessments that provide feedback on students’ understanding and progress.

The Teacher Guide helps educators implement supplemental program lessons and integrate the program with existing core reading and language arts curricula. The program includes step-by-step prompts and scripted educator guidance that support educators in modeling and explaining skills during instruction.

Program materials state, “The pacing can be modified to align with a district’s ELAR curriculum and schedule.” The Teacher Guide provides information on how to use the materials to support a CORE ELAR program. This guidance informs educators that lessons can be used to introduce, reinforce, or extend learning based on students’ needs. It also states that the provided materials can be used in “whole-class, small-group, intervention, tutoring, or independent practice settings.”

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 “Scope and Sequence Overview” in the Implementation Guide lists all units in the program, including each lesson and the specific reading and writing skills covered in it, such as context clues, word analysis, and concept organization.

The “Rationale for Scope and Sequence” in the Implementation Guide explains why student skills are presented in a step-by-step order to support literacy development and TEKS mastery. The section groups content by unit and shows how each unit builds on the previous unit.

The materials include a “Scope and Sequence” chart that identifies the unit of study, the TEKS, the focus, and related study materials. The chart shows where each TEKS and each skill is addressed, provides page references for instruction, and includes a key for acronyms that are used throughout the scope and sequence.

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

The “Time Requirements and Suggested Pacing” section in the Teacher Guide outlines estimated time frames for each part of the lesson cycle, allotting 5–10 minutes each for warm-ups and mini-lessons, for example. Lessons consist of warm-ups, TEKS-focused mini-lessons, guided practice for students who need extra support, partner practice, and independent practice/formative assessment. The “Flexible Use of the Program Across Instructional Models” section of the Teacher Guide also provides frequency recommendations for the lessons. This guidance offers educators flexible implementation options and instructional strategies for classroom use, enabling educators to deliver lessons in full or divide them into smaller segments across multiple days.

The Teacher Edition of the Reading Practice Book includes an “Alternate Implementation with Core Curriculum” section that supports flexible integration into instruction. A provided chart outlines lesson components, where they fit within the curriculum, and suggested lesson durations.

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

The Teacher Guide includes “Guide for Implementation” and “Flexible Use of the Program Across Instructional Models” sections. The “Guide for Implementation” section includes guidance on using practice books, power reviews, assessment books, and TEKSnology in whole‑class, small‑group, partner, and independent settings. The materials provide guidance on using data to inform instruction, and examples demonstrate two pathways for use: one for students who are already on track and one for students who need extra support.


The Teacher Edition for the Reading Practice Book provides step-by-step guidance for effective instruction with a consistent lesson structure. Each lesson starts with the TEKS lesson, which supports educator modeling and structured student practice through an anchor chart. After the TEKS lesson, students can transition from guided practice to partner practice or go directly to partner practice. All students engage in independent practice/formative assessment.

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

The Implementation Guide includes a family “Welcome” letter in English and Spanish that gives families an overview of the program and its design. The letter includes a “Family Tips” sheet that offers families ways to encourage reading and writing at home, such as creating a daily reading ritual and exploring genres together. The “Welcome” letter also includes a “Frequently Asked Questions” section that answers questions such as “How much should my child read each day?”

The Implementation Guide also includes a family letter in English and Spanish for each of the eight units. Each letter provides a short overview of the unit’s focus in reading and writing, clear explanations of key concepts and skills, and a “How You Can Support [Your Student] at Home” section.

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 Step Up to the TEKS Supplemental Program incorporates formative assessments and State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR)-style practice materials following each TEKS lesson in the Reading Practice Book and the Writing Practice Book. The formative assessments directly measure the literacy skills introduced in each lesson. Ample formative assessments are provided before students take the summative assessment.

Additionally, two STAAR-based final assessments directly measure the writing and literacy skills taught in the program. The TEKSnology.com database also provides Curriculum-Based Assessments (CBAs), benchmarks, and buildable assessments.

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

The “Instructional Assessments Overview and Guidance” section in the Teacher Guide includes the definition and purpose of various types of assessments, such as formative, common-based, benchmarks, and diagnostic. For example, formative assessments are used throughout instruction to check for understanding and help guide teaching decisions. Each assessment type is clearly defined to show how it supports instruction and helps educators monitor student learning.

The materials include the definition and intended purpose of the types of instructional assessments included in the Teacher Guide. For example, formative assessments serve as ongoing checks during lessons, help educators monitor students’ growth, and guide instruction. CBAs and benchmarks are periodic measures of students’ progress, designed to assess mastery of the TEKS-aligned skills. The purpose of each assessment type is outlined, which illustrates how it supports instructional decisions and helps educators evaluate student learning.

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

The “Assessment Administration Guidance for Teachers” document in the Teacher Guide provides information on the timing of assessments, the format, required materials, and how to score and follow up. The document also offers an introduction script for educators, guidance on how to ensure consistent and accurate information, and explanations of how item types vary across formats.

The “Reading Power Review” section of the Teacher Edition offers clear guidance for consistent and accurate administration of its final assessment. Each assessment is designed to take 50–60 minutes to complete. A scripted introduction ensures that educators deliver uniform directions to all students. The materials include a helpful testing tip and specific instructions for completing the assessment, ensuring that all students receive the same clear guidance and test conditions.

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

The assessments offer a variety of questions to evaluate various levels of complexity. For example, one assessment for using text evidence asks students, “Which sentence does the author use to suggest that Marcus will likely help Kerry with her math?” Question 3 prompts students to “Read the sentence from paragraph 4 and answer What is Kerry most likely thinking at this point in the story?” The Teacher Guide also tells educators what type of questions—such as inferential, evaluative, and literal—are contained in each assessment.

The materials include assessments that use grade-level texts from a variety of genres. These texts require students to demonstrate comprehension through increasingly complex tasks such as sequencing events, identifying central ideas, making text-based inferences, explaining relationships among ideas, determining themes, and comparing information within a text. The assessments incorporate multiple item types, including multiple-choice, hot text, inline choice, multipart, multiselect, short constructed response, and extended constructed response questions. These item types allow students to demonstrate understanding through selected-response and constructed-response formats.

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

Within the Step Up to the TEKS Supplemental Program, TEKSnology.com automates most grading tasks and delivers reports directly to the educator via the “Assignments” tab in “Needs Manual Grading” and “Graded” sections. Educators can view students’ work using the “Gradebook” link and clicking on the percentage (Student Work); there they can also leave comments for students and/or change auto-graded reports.

The “Reports” tab provides educators with results for each assessment in a Course Report or a Standards Report. The reports are viewable either by Strand or by Reporting Category. These reports provide educators with students’ scores in “Masters,” “Meets, “Approaching,” and “Did Not Meet” categories. Educators can view them as a whole class or by individual student.

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 provide guidance for using the program to respond to student assessment performance trends. The “Guidance for Supporting a Core ELAR Program” document describes a “Data-Driven Instruction” model that uses the TEKSnology.com Test Builder, TEKSnology.com Reports, and Teacher Guide resources to analyze student performance and identify instructional needs. The materials organize each book by the TEKS and the concept, which allows educators to connect assessment results to specific lessons and resources for targeted instruction and intervention.

Additionally, the “Using Data to Guide Instruction” section of the Teacher Guide provides five post-assessment steps that educators should follow: Review students’ performance, identify learning gaps, select targeted lessons, adjust grouping, and monitor progress.

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.

TEKSnology.com Reports allow educators to monitor student performance by TEKS, strand, or reporting category and provide data on student mastery of individual standards. Educators can also generate individual TEKS Standards Reports to review student performance and monitor growth over time.

Students also have tools to track their own progress and growth. The Teacher Guide includes a “Student Progress Tracking and Reflection” section that directs students to reflect on their performance on assessments. Through a “Benchmark Answer Analysis,” students compare their responses to correct answers, identify the related TEKS, analyze patterns in their performance, and identify areas for improvement. Lastly, the “Student Reflection and Goal Setting” form supports ongoing progress monitoring toward goals.

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 Teacher Edition for the Reading Practice Book and the Writing Practice Book includes educator guidance for differentiated instruction and activities for students who are not yet proficient in grade-level skills. For example, the Teacher Guide offers differentiation strategies for students who have not yet demonstrated proficiency, such as reteaching and modeling during partner practice, and small-group practice. These differentiation strategies are available throughout all of the lessons in the program.

Furthermore, there is educator guidance for reteaching after the “Independent Practice” section, which aligns with the TEKS. This guidance includes reviewing students’ work, pinpointing where students need more support, and helping students practice a specific skill through modeling or guided practice. Additionally, the materials encourage small-group support for students who might need extra assistance. A “Reteach” section is included after the formative assessment in every lesson; for example, in the Teacher Edition for the Writing Practice Book, the “Reteach” section provides guidance on “What may need to be retaught after working on TEKS?” This guidance further breaks down the reteaching process for differentiated small groups, including students who perform below proficiency.

Additionally, the “Reteach” section of the Teacher Edition for the Writing Practice Book offers guidance for educators on how to reteach bilingual and ESL program students, and students receiving special education services.

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 “Differentiation and Enrichment for Proficient Students” section of the Teacher Guide provides flexible options for extending learning after students demonstrate or exceed proficiency in grade‑level ELAR skills. The materials outline opportunities for independent practice and deeper skill application, which allows educators to select enrichment tasks that promote critical thinking, creative expression, and meaningful engagement with texts. These optional activities support educators in tailoring instruction to student strengths while keeping work anchored in grade‑level expectations.

The Teacher Edition for the Reading Practice Book and the Writing Practice Book includes guidance for providing differentiated instruction and activities for students who demonstrate or exceed proficiency in grade-level skills. Additionally, the materials encourage extension activities for students who demonstrate proficiency. Every lesson includes a section called “Reteach” after the formative assessment. For example, in the Teacher Edition for the Writing Practice Book, the “Reteach” section provides guidance on “What may need to be retaught after working on TEKS?” This guidance further breaks down the reteaching process for differentiated small groups, including students who perform above proficiency.

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

The Step Up to the TEKS Supplemental Program includes a “Supporting Specially Designed Instruction (SDI)” guide that is aligned to federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) regulations and the TEKS. This guide defines SDI and explains how instruction can be tailored to meet individual student needs while maintaining access to the grade-level TEKS. The guide also offers tips for modifying instructional delivery through scaffolding, pacing, grouping, and response formats. The materials include specific strategies and alternative response options to support student access and engagement.

The Teacher Edition for the Reading Practice Book and the Writing Practice Book include guidance for providing SDI and activities for students who receive special education services. Additionally, the materials encourage reteaching strategies and differentiated instruction practices to support students who receive special education services. For example, in the Teacher Edition for the Writing Practice Book, the “Reteach” section provides guidance on “What may need to be retaught after working on TEKS?” This guidance further breaks down the reteaching process for differentiated small groups, including students who receive special education services. The suggestions for differentiated strategies include multisensory strategies, visual templates, and mentor texts.

Lastly, the Teacher Edition for the Writing Practice Book offers educator guidance “for students receiving special education services” including using “multisensory tools such as color-coded cards for [the] hook, central idea, and preview.”

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 (direct) prompts to help educators model reading comprehension skills using specific texts during lessons. For example, the Teacher Edition includes prompts to guide modeling and explanation of a specific skill in the “Warm-Up,” “TEKS Lesson,” and “Guided Practice” sections of each lesson. Each lesson includes sidebars that highlight the TEKS, vocabulary, and “Background Knowledge” needed for that lesson, and provided sentence frames help educators support students.

Teacher Editions for the Reading Practice Book and the Writing Practice Book are designed to guide educators in modeling and explaining concepts effectively. TEKS lessons follow an “I Do” model, in which educators present the TEKS, explain their purpose, and demonstrate a specific concept using visuals such as anchor charts or projected materials. Guided practice continues with a “We Do” model, as educators work alongside students, offer feedback, and showcase strategies while students begin to apply the concept. For example, the TEKS lesson in the Teacher Edition of the Writing Practice Book prompts educators to review an anchor chart for irregular past-, present-, and future-tense verbs with students. The educator models the use of each tense using an irregular verb and guides students through generating other examples on chart paper.

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 guidance and recommendations for effective delivery and facilitation, incorporating various instructional approaches such as direct instruction, educator modeling, partner discussions, whole-group questioning, guided practice, and independent application. For example, educators introduce concepts, build background knowledge, and model reading skills through direct instruction before presenting new material. During guided practice, students engage in a variety of instructional approaches such as working with a partner to practice a modeled skill, responding to the educator’s questions in a whole-group setting, and reading independently to apply the skill. Lesson plans consistently include guidance and support for facilitating these activities throughout the program.

Within the Step Up to the TEKS Supplemental Program, the “Writing Power Review” lessons provide step-by-step guidance through a “Teaching Model and Practice” section. Educators demonstrate a skill using visual aids and facilitate discussions with prompts that lead students to apply what they learned through partner work. This structured approach supports consistent lesson delivery with diverse instructional methods.

Additionally, in the Teacher Edition for the Reading Practice Book, students learn about creating mental images. The activity for this lesson prompts students to read a poem and stop during the reading process to illustrate their vision of the author’s topic. The online TEKSnology component provides digital resources, including videos and slides, for educators use.

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

The Teacher Edition provides guidance that outlines recommended instructional structures, showing how each lesson component fits into various formats, including whole-group, small-group, partner, and independent work. An implementation chart illustrates how the warm-up, TEKS lesson, guided practice, partner practice, and formative assessment can be seamlessly integrated into daily instruction. The chart provides suggested durations and highlights the most appropriate times for each component. This support helps educators align supplemental practice with core classroom instruction for successful program implementation.

Additionally, the Writing Practice Book includes a three-step guide that educators can use for whole-group instruction, partner work, and independent practice.

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 Teacher Guide section “Supporting Emergent Bilingual Students Across ELPS Levels” introduces available educator supports within the Step Up to the TEKS Supplemental Program. For example, the program provides sentence frames, educator modeling, and think-alouds plus ongoing formative feedback to track students’ growth and target support. The “Best Practices and Strategies Chart” identifies instructional strategies, their purposes, recommended ELPS proficiency levels, when to use them, and examples from lessons. Supports include visuals, controlled-choice responses, graphic organizers, evidence banks, educator modeling, think-alouds, partner interactions, vocabulary previews, and formative feedback.

The materials also provide sentence frames and educator prompts differentiated by proficiency level—Pre-Production, Beginning, Intermediate, High Intermediate, and Advanced—and by reading and writing tasks. These supports help students access grade-level content and engage in reading, writing, and discussion while developing increasingly sophisticated academic language.

Lastly, the Teacher Edition of the Writing Practice Book provides guidance on using linguistic accommodations across lessons for various levels of language proficiency. For example, each lesson includes an educator information section that provides guidance “for bilingual and ESL [English as a Second Language] program students.” One example prompts educators to “Provide a small set of high-frequency irregular verbs with picture clues (go/went, eat/ate, run/ran.) Use frames such as ‘The past tense of ____ is ____.’ Practice editing short sentences together, then have students read the corrected versions aloud.”

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.

While the materials provide guidance on supporting emergent bilingual (EB) students in a general education setting and working with their families, they do not provide guidance on working outside a general education classroom.

The materials include explanatory materials on how to use the program with ESL and bilingual students but lack implementation guidance to support educators in effectively integrating the materials into state-approved bilingual/ESL programs. Specifically, there are sections on SDI and “Supporting Emergent Bilingual Students Across ELPS Levels,” but no section includes educator guidance on how to use the materials in state-approved bilingual/ESL programs (e.g., dual language immersion programs, transitional bilingual models, and ESL 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 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 offer published short stories and informational texts from reputable sources and subject-matter experts. The materials also include publisher-written passages and public-domain works such as Aesop’s fables. Students have opportunities to read literary, informational, argumentative, and poetic texts that are aligned to the grade-level TEKS.

Students read a variety of high-quality, grade-level texts of increasing complexity throughout the program. For example, one formative assessment requires students to read a letter; this task gives them experience with a practical communication format while demonstrating their ability to apply comprehension skills across text types. This variety of texts also requires students to think critically as they read increasingly complex passages.

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

The materials include a variety of high-quality literary and informational texts at different levels of complexity. Throughout the Step Up to the TEKS Supplemental Program, students engage with accessible fiction selections and straightforward informational texts. Then they progress to more sophisticated literary works that incorporate multiple perspectives, themes, and symbolic elements with content-rich informational texts that require deeper analysis and critical thinking. This intentional progression provides students with opportunities to engage with increasingly complex texts while building the skills necessary for higher levels of comprehension and analysis.

A range of engaging, high-quality texts that support reading growth keeps students interested. In one lesson, students read a fictional narrative about a river rafting trip that turns dangerous, along with a personal letter that recounts the same event. The narrative is more straightforward, with a clear sequence of events, while the letter adds reflection and asks students to think about the writer’s feelings. Together, these texts help students understand events in different ways and build comprehension skills through accessible but varied reading experiences. Across the collection, students find texts at different levels of complexity and build confidence as they grow into more challenging reading.

Lastly, passages require readers to think deeply, and include vocabulary, complex sentence structures, and information that builds on students’ life experiences. For example, “Gardens” is an argumentative text that uses familiar language and examples so students can identify the author’s opinion and connect to the ideas presented in the passage.

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

The program offers texts that connect to students’ everyday lives, interests, and experiences. Topics such as school responsibilities, friendships, technology use, animals, problem-solving, and personal growth provide relatable entry points that help students make meaningful connections to what they read. This variety of engaging literary and informational texts encourages students to see themselves in the content while fostering curiosity and active participation in reading.

The text collection reflects a range of cultural perspectives, family traditions, life experiences, and historical contributions. Through stories, informational texts, traditional tales, and biographies, students encounter characters and individuals from diverse backgrounds who demonstrate perseverance, creativity, courage, and responsibility. These authentic representations help students build understanding of different perspectives while recognizing shared experiences and values across cultures and communities.

Additionally, the materials include texts with cross-curricular content such as science and social studies that are meaningful and of high interest to students. For example, Kai and the Dragon tells of a child who wanted to defeat a dragon during a drought. The child defeats the dragon and saves the kingdom. Another story, David Makes the Team, is about a boy who was picked last to play baseball but hits a home run at the end of the game.

Evaluation for 8.2a
Materials activate or supply background knowledge.

The materials consistently activate students’ prior knowledge before reading and skill instruction. Educator guidance prompts students to recall previously learned concepts, make connections to familiar topics and experiences, and apply existing understanding to new learning. These opportunities help students build on what they already know and prepare them to engage successfully with lesson content and provided texts.

The materials also provide background knowledge and contextual support before students read new selections. Educator materials include information that introduces important concepts, topics, and situations related to the texts, helping students develop knowledge that is needed for comprehension. This scaffolding supports students in making meaningful connections to the content and increases their abilities to understand and analyze texts independently.

In the Teacher Edition for the Reading Practice Book, each guided practice and partner practice provides background knowledge before students read. This knowledge gives students context about topics, situations, and/or key concepts to help them connect the text to what they already know, and to better understand each passage. For example, the “Background Knowledge” section for “A Matter of Math” states, “Students should know that schoolwork can be difficult. They should know that it can be hard to ask parents for help. Students should know that parents can help when asked. They should know that talking about problems makes them easier to handle.”

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

The materials include opportunities for educators to pre-teach unfamiliar vocabulary words before students read grade-level texts. Each warm-up and TEKS lesson in the Teacher Edition identifies key academic and text-specific vocabulary words in the sidebar, enabling educators to introduce important terms, clarify meanings, and address potential misconceptions before students engage with a specific reading selection.

In the Teacher Edition for the Reading Practice Book, each warm-up and TEKS lesson includes sidebar vocabulary words that are tied to the reading skill being taught. Educators can use these vocabulary terms to pre-teach and address any unfamiliar vocabulary. This process helps students approach a passage with more confidence. For example, when an educator teaches students about plot elements, the list of vocabulary terms includes analyzes, genre-specific, contemporary, diverse, climax, and contributes. The materials include an anchor chart labeled with each element of a plot and its definition for students.

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

The TEKS lessons provide explicit instruction on using context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. Educators model the process through think-alouds, review anchor charts, and demonstrate how to examine information within and beyond a sentence to infer a word’s meaning. This direct instruction helps students understand how contextual analysis works before they apply the strategy independently.

During guided practice, the educator continues to support students by prompting them to identify context clues, explain their reasoning, and determine a word’s meaning using evidence from the text. This gradual release reinforces the contextual analysis strategy before students apply it independently.

Lastly, the Teacher Edition for the Reading Practice Book provides short passages for educator use during direct instruction. These passages offer students opportunities to use contextual analysis to determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary in texts aligned with the grade-level TEKS. During instruction, the educator models how to apply the “Be a Word Detective” anchor chart by thinking out loud through each step, identifying context clues in surrounding sentences, and demonstrating how those clues help determine a word’s meaning before students begin their own work with the text. In the story “A Tree Talks,” the educator explicitly models how to use context clues to determine the meaning of words such as tapped, unusual, and oddities before guiding students to apply the same strategy.

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 “Partner Practice” component of the materials provides opportunities for students to independently apply contextual analysis strategies while reading authentic texts. Students work independently or with a partner to identify context clues, determine the meaning of unfamiliar words, and explain the textual evidence that supports their thinking. This practice allows students to reinforce the skill after explicit instruction and guided practice, and promotes greater independence in vocabulary development.

Exit slips in the appendix of the “Reading Power Review” section provide additional opportunities for students to practice using context clues to determine a word’s meaning. Students analyze sentences or short passages that contain unfamiliar vocabulary, identify clues within the text, and use those clues to infer meaning. These independent tasks serve as a formative check of students’ abilities to apply contextual analysis strategies in alignment with the grade 4 TEKS expectations.

Furthermore, during partner practice, students read a short passage independently or with a partner, look for context clues in the text, and explain how those clues help them understand unfamiliar words. This activity gives students repeated opportunities to apply this skill authentically. After the lesson about context clues is completed, students can practice the skill with short passages; for example, “The Stone in the Road” provides students with the opportunity to use context clues to determine the meaning of words such as hamlet, affluent, and wretched.

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.

Each TEKS lesson provides systematic and explicit instruction in reading comprehension skills through a consistent instructional sequence. Educators introduce and model key comprehension concepts, guide students through supported analysis of texts, and gradually release responsibility to students. Lessons move from literal understanding of important details and text structures to inferential analysis of ideas and relationships. Students ultimately progress to evaluative thinking that requires them to analyze an author’s purpose, effectiveness, or use of evidence. This progression ensures that students receive direct instruction at multiple levels of comprehension, in alignment with the grade 4 TEKS.

Throughout the Teacher Edition for the Reading Practice Book, students engage with questions and tasks that require comprehension at multiple levels. Lessons include opportunities to identify and recall key details from texts (literal), draw conclusions and make connections using textual evidence (inferential), and analyze or compare an author’s choices, purpose, or message (evaluative). Scaffolded discussions, text annotations, structured response activities, and sentence frames support students as they develop increasingly sophisticated comprehension skills across literary and informational texts.

The materials follow a progression that takes students from simpler to more complex reading skills. In the Teacher Edition for the Reading Practice Book, each TEKS lesson provides clear, step-by-step guidance for teaching reading comprehension. Lessons begin with direct instruction in which educators introduce key concepts and model a targeted skill such as identifying the characteristics of argumentative texts, including claims, supporting reasons, and conclusions. Then students move on to guided practice using a shared selection; they discuss a text’s structure, annotate the text, and apply the skill with educator support. The sequence of modeling, guided practice, and application is consistent and provides educators with support for direct instruction at multiple levels. It also ensures that students receive explicit instruction in literal, inferential, and evaluative comprehension skills. For example, in the lesson for the story “Waterfalls,” educators receive four steps to teach, then practice, skills such as central ideas/evidence.

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.

Students regularly practice reading comprehension skills at the literal, inferential, and evaluative levels while engaging with grade-level texts. Lesson activities and comprehension questions require students to identify key details and vocabulary from a text; draw conclusions using textual evidence; and analyze ideas, themes, or messages presented by the author. Students must also explain their thinking and support responses with evidence, applying comprehension skills at increasing levels of complexity.

The Reading Practice Book provides opportunities for students to apply comprehension skills across a variety of grade-level literary and informational texts. These texts include stories, poems, articles, biographies, traditional literature, and argumentative passages. Each selection includes questions and response tasks that help students move from literal understanding to inferential reasoning and ultimately to evaluative analysis. This consistent structure ensures that students practice multiple levels of comprehension while engaging with diverse text types that are aligned to the grade 4 TEKS expectations.

The materials include a variety of grade-level texts such as literary, informational, and argumentative selections. Each text is accompanied by questions that address literal, inferential, and evaluative comprehension skills. Students identify details and information stated in the text; use evidence to make inferences and draw conclusions; and analyze ideas such as theme, author’s purpose, and argument. Throughout the Step Up to the TEKS Supplemental Program, students respond to questions at all three levels of comprehension and support their answers with evidence from the text. This work provides students with opportunities to practice skills that are aligned to the TEKS expectations across multiple text types. For example, in the story “Caterpillar,” students read a poem, then answer questions such as “What details from the poem help the reader visualize the caterpillar?” and “Line 9 says, ‘Spin and die.’ What process is the author describing?”

Evaluation for 9.1a
Materials include systematic and explicit (direct) instruction in writing conventions (e.g., syntax, spelling, grammar, capitalization, punctuation), both in the context of authentic writing and in isolation, in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The materials use a systematic sequence to teach writing conventions that builds throughout the program. The scope and sequence outlines a progression of grammar, spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and sentence-construction skills that are introduced, revisited, and expanded across units. Students progress from foundational convention skills to more complex applications, allowing them to strengthen their understanding.

The Teacher Edition of the Writing Practice Book provides explicit instruction in writing conventions through direct teaching, modeling, guided practice, and authentic writing application. Lessons introduce specific convention skills such as sentence structure, verb usage, grammar, and punctuation before students apply those skills in their own writing. This gradual progression from isolated skill instruction to authentic writing tasks helps students understand how applying conventions contributes to clear and effective communication.

The materials include systematic, direct instruction in writing conventions in the context of authentic writing and in isolation. For example, the Teacher Edition of the Writing Practice Book shows that students learn about subject–verb agreement, then irregular verbs. Next, students learn about nouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases, pronouns, coordinating conjunctions, subjects, predicates, and sentences. Lessons also include instruction on capitalization, punctuation, and grammar. The structure of these lessons provides educators with a path for growing convention skills throughout the year.

Evaluation for 9.1b
Materials include opportunities for students to practice writing conventions (e.g., syntax, spelling, grammar, capitalization, punctuation), both in the context of authentic writing and in isolation, in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

Students practice writing conventions in isolation through focused grammar and language activities. For example, in the “Writing Power Review” lessons, students engage in targeted practice with convention skills such as grammar, syntax, and usage by applying newly learned concepts in sentence-level exercises. Then they review instructional supports, complete guided examples, and independently apply convention skills, allowing them to build accuracy and confidence before transferring those skills to authentic writing tasks.

Students also apply writing conventions within authentic writing and editing tasks. In the “Writing Power Review” lessons, students analyze and revise complete pieces of writing. They identify and correct errors related to spelling, grammar, capitalization, punctuation, verb usage, and other TEKS-aligned conventions. By applying convention skills within meaningful passages and extended texts, students practice using standard English conventions in contexts that mirror real reading and writing experiences.

Lastly, the materials include opportunities for students to practice syntax, spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation within the context of authentic writing and in isolation. For example, the lesson “Correcting Run-Ons and Splices” provides students with an anchor chart that shows definitions of run-ons and splices with examples. The lesson also provides two examples that students and educators can correct together. Then students independently answer multiple-choice questions related to four sentences that contain run-on and splice errors.

Evaluation for 9.2a
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction on each step of the writing process (including planning, drafting, revising, editing, and sharing) in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The materials provide explicit instruction on the planning and sharing stages of the writing process. In the Teacher Edition of the Writing Practice Book, educators use anchor charts, modeling, and guided discussions to help students select topics, identify purpose and audience, generate ideas, and organize information before writing. Students use planning tools to develop and structure their ideas, then apply genre-specific guidance to prepare polished pieces for publication and sharing, reinforcing the complete writing process from prewriting to presentation.

The materials provide direct instruction in drafting, revising, and editing through a sequence of lessons that gradually develop students’ writing skills. Educators model how to transform planned ideas into complete sentences and organized paragraphs during drafting lessons. Revision lessons explicitly demonstrate how to strengthen ideas, improve organization, and clarify meaning. Editing lessons focus on applying conventions such as grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation to produce a polished final draft. Through repeated modeling, guided practice, and application, students receive systematic support in each stage of the writing process, aligned to the grade-level TEKS expectations.

The writing materials provide direct instruction on each step of the writing process: planning, drafting, revising, editing, and sharing. When students begin planning their first drafts, the educator shows them the “Introduction with Engaging Ideas or Central Ideas” anchor chart, which provides definitions and examples. Then students engage in guided practice, partner practice, or independent practice as needed. Each practice reviews a specific skill and shows students how to begin writing with an introduction. Because these skills appear in multiple lessons, students receive continual, explicit support as they develop and refine their writing.

Evaluation for 9.2b
Materials include opportunities for students to practice each step of the writing process (including planning, drafting, revising, editing, and sharing) in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

Students have multiple opportunities to practice the planning stage of the writing process through a variety of graphic organizers and planning tools. The appendix in the Teacher Edition of the Writing Practice Book includes resources such as RAFT activities (R: Role—Who are you as the writer?; A: Audience-—Who are you writing to?; F: Format—What form will the writing take?; T: Topic—What are you writing about?”) Also included are mentor text analysis tools, mind maps, 5Ws and 1H organizers, character development tools, and genre-specific planning pages that help students generate, organize, and develop ideas before they write. Students receive opportunities to complete the sharing and publishing stages of the writing process by creating final drafts using genre-specific publishing pages designed for authentic presentation of their work.

Students also have multiple opportunities to practice drafting, revising, and editing as part of the complete writing process. In the Writing Practice Book, students use genre-specific anchor charts and lesson supports to develop drafts, refine ideas, improve organization and clarity, and edit for writing conventions before publishing. Additional revision and editing activities throughout the program allow students to apply feedback, strengthen their writing, and demonstrate increasing independence as they move through each stage of the writing process, in alignment with the grade-level TEKS expectations.

The materials include opportunities for students to practice each step of the writing process: planning, drafting, revising, editing, and sharing. The appendix offers five “strategies to plan writing,” including RAFT activities, mentor text analysis, mind mapping, 5Ws and 1H organizers, and character creation. Each tool is explained in a chart in the appendix. It also provides a sample RAFT prompt and a “Why RAFT is Useful” section for educators.

Evaluation for 9.3a
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction in writing craft (e.g., text structure, word choice, figurative language, literary devices) in a variety of text types (e.g., literary, informational, argumentative) in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The materials provide explicit instruction in the writing craft through direct teaching, modeling, and guided application of genre-specific techniques. In the Teacher Edition of the Writing Practice Book, personal narrative lessons use anchor charts and mentor texts to teach students how writers structure narratives with clear beginnings, middles, and endings. Students also learn how to develop ideas through meaningful details and engage readers through sensory language and dialogue. Educators model each craft element and provide opportunities for students to apply these techniques in their own writing, which supports the development of effective and purposeful communication.

The materials also include direct instruction in the writing craft across a variety of text types, including narrative, fiction, poetry, informational, and argumentative writing. Lessons directly teach craft elements such as text structure, word choice, sensory language, dialogue, imagery, figurative language, sound devices, central ideas, supporting details, claims, and audience awareness. Through educator modeling, anchor charts, mentor texts, and guided practice, students learn how different craft techniques are used to communicate effectively within specific genres and writing purposes, in alignment with the grade-level TEKS expectations.

The materials include explicit instruction in the writing craft, including text structure, word choice, figurative language, and literary devices, in a variety of text types such as literary, informational, and argumentative. For example, when students learn about writing poetry, an anchor chart provides “genre characteristics,” detailing the structure of poetry with definitions and describing the role of imagery and figurative language. The chart also provides information about different sound devices that students can use when writing poetry. A sample poem describes the elements of poetry, and lessons about “Poetry Ideas” and “Poetic Forms” provide further information. Lastly, the poem “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod” allows students to independently review the various elements of poems.

Evaluation for 9.3b
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction in writing composition in a variety of text types (e.g., literary, informational, argumentative) and a variety of text lengths (e.g., short constructed response, extended constructed response) in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The materials provide direct instruction in writing composition across various text types, including informational, literary, and argumentative writing. In the Teacher Edition for the Writing Practice Book, lessons use anchor charts, mentor texts, educator modeling, and guided discussion to teach students how different types of writing are organized and developed. Students learn how to introduce ideas, organize information, develop supporting details and evidence, and craft effective conclusions while analyzing examples and applying these structures in their own writing. This systematic instruction helps students understand the unique characteristics and purposes of different types of texts, in alignment with the grade-level TEKS expectations.

The materials also provide explicit instruction in composing short constructed responses (SCRs) and extended constructed responses (ECRs). The “Writing Power Review” lessons introduce response-writing strategies through anchor charts, educator modeling, guided practice, and structured planning tools. Students learn how to develop concise, evidence-based responses using the RACE strategy for short responses and how to organize and elaborate on ideas in multi-paragraph responses. Through gradual release from modeled examples to independent writing, students receive clear support in composing responses of varying lengths and purposes, in alignment with the grade-level TEKS requirements.

Lastly, the materials include direct instruction in writing composition in a variety of text types such as literary, informational, and argumentative, and a variety of text lengths. For example, when students learn about writing argumentative text, educators can use the “Argumentative Text Genre Characteristics” anchor chart to teach students about claims, evidence, conclusions, and audience. In the next lesson, students begin their own argumentative composition using a prompt. The writing process starts with an introduction and claim. Students add evidence and learn about fact versus opinion, then complete their compositions with a conclusion. Afterward, they practice the new skills on the argumentative text “The Lunch Crunch.” Finally, students compose their own argumentative composition.

Evaluation for 9.3c
Materials include high-quality mentor texts to model writing composition in a variety of text types (e.g., literary, informational, argumentative) and a variety of text lengths (e.g., short constructed response, extended constructed response) in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The materials include high-quality mentor texts that model effective writing composition across a variety of text types. In the Teacher Edition for the Writing Practice Book, students analyze literary, informational, poetic, and argumentative mentor texts to study how authors develop ideas, organize information, and use genre-specific craft techniques. These mentor texts provide clear examples of narrative development, imagery, text structure, central ideas and supporting details, and claims supported by reasons. This information helps students understand the characteristics of effective writing across genres, in alignment with grade-level expectations.

The materials provide mentor texts of varying lengths to support instruction in short and extended writing composition. Throughout the Writing Practice Book and the “Writing Power Review” lessons, educators use brief texts, sentences, paragraphs, poems, and response models to demonstrate focused writing skills such as word choice, sentence construction, revision, and evidence-based responses. The materials also include longer mentor texts (e.g., narratives, informational articles, and argumentative compositions) that model how writers develop ideas across multiple paragraphs, organize complete pieces, and maintain coherence throughout a text. This variety of mentor texts helps students understand effective composition across a range of writing tasks and text lengths.

The Writing Practice Book and the “Writing Power Review” lessons use mentor texts to provide examples of different types of writing. In the Teacher Edition for the Writing Practice Book, examples include a personal narrative (“Apologies”), a poem (“The Shepherd Boy”), an informational article (“Advances in Transportation”), and an argumentative text (“No Time for Slime”). Each text highlights characteristics that are commonly associated with its genre, such as details in personal narratives, imagery in poetry, organized explanations in informational writing, and claims supported by reasons in argumentative writing. Educators use these texts to examine how authors organize ideas, select language, and apply writing techniques while providing students with examples of writing across multiple genres.

Evaluation for 9.3d
Materials include opportunities for students to practice writing composition in a variety of text types (e.g., literary, informational, argumentative) and a variety of text lengths (e.g., short constructed response, extended constructed response) in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The materials provide students with opportunities to compose a variety of text types, in alignment with the grade-level TEKS expectations. In the Writing Practice Book, students write literary texts such as personal narratives and poetry plus informational and argumentative compositions. Through these writing tasks, students apply genre-specific structures, craft techniques, and organizational features while developing writing for different purposes and audiences. This variety of composition opportunities allows students to practice and refine their writing skills across multiple genres throughout the program.

The materials provide opportunities for students to compose writing of varying lengths, including short constructed responses and extended compositions. In the “Writing Power Review” lessons and the Reading Practice Book, students respond to prompts using concise, evidence-based short constructed responses that require focused written explanations. Students also engage in extended writing tasks—including multi-paragraph informational and other genre-based compositions—that require planning, development of ideas, organization, and elaboration. This range of writing experiences supports students in composing effectively across different purposes, formats, and levels of complexity, in alignment with the grade-level TEKS requirements.

The materials include opportunities for students to practice writing composition in a variety of text types (e.g., literary, informational, and argumentative) and a variety of text lengths (short constructed response and extended constructed response). For example, the materials include instruction on writing a personal narrative. Students use the “Writing a Personal Narrative” anchor chart as they plan a first draft, revise, edit, and publish their own personal narratives.

Evaluation for 9.4a
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction on writing text-based responses with a variety of grade-level texts as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The materials provide explicit instruction in writing text-based responses via direct modeling, structured strategies, and guided practice. In the “Writing Power Review” lessons, students learn how to analyze grade-level texts, select relevant textual evidence, and explain how that evidence supports their responses. Educators use anchor charts and response-writing frameworks to model the process of constructing evidence-based answers, which helps students understand how to cite, explain, and organize information from a text to support their thinking.

The materials also include direct instruction in responding to a variety of grade-level literary and informational texts. In the Reading Practice Book and the “Writing Power Review” lessons, educators guide students through the process of identifying important details, comparing ideas, analyzing information, and incorporating textual evidence into written responses. Through educator modeling, discussion, anchor charts, and guided writing activities, students learn how to develop clear, text-based responses that demonstrate comprehension and effectively communicate their understanding of a text.

Lastly, the materials provide explicit instruction in writing text-based responses (short constructed responses and extended constructed responses) with a variety of grade-level texts. Lesson 7 includes direct instruction so students can learn the steps to write an extended constructed response text. Activity 1 provides an “Extended Constructed Response” anchor chart. Activity 2 explains “Breaking Down the Prompt.” Activity 3 provides students a chance to write an extended constructed response text.

Evaluation for 9.4b
Materials include opportunities for students to practice writing text-based responses with a variety of grade-level texts as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

Students have multiple opportunities to practice writing text-based responses using grade-level texts. In the “Writing Power Review” lessons, students compose short constructed responses and extended constructed responses that require them to analyze a text, select relevant evidence, and explain their thinking in writing. Students apply evidence-based writing strategies across a variety of tasks, strengthening their abilities to support claims and responses with details from the text while developing proficiency with both brief and extended written formats.

The materials also include ongoing opportunities for students to respond to various literary and informational texts through evidence-based writing tasks. In the Reading Practice Book, students answer text-dependent questions that require them to explain ideas, analyze characters and events, make predictions, draw inferences, and locate information within a text. Students regularly support their responses with textual evidence, reinforcing comprehension and written communication skills while engaging with a range of grade-level selections that are aligned to the grade-level TEKS expectations.

Finally, the materials offer students opportunities to practice writing short constructed responses and extended constructed responses using a variety of grade-level texts. Lesson 9 provides two opportunities for students to learn how to write short constructed responses and apply that learning. The first activity walks students through using the RACE strategy. The sample text “Class Projects” and a structured sentence-completion example enable students to practice their new skills. The last activity is tied to the story called “Go Fly a Kite” in which students must use the RACE strategy to respond to the prompt “What is the central idea of the selection? Support your answer with evidence from the selection.”