Step Up to the TEKS 5th 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 provides structured opportunities for instruction and practice, aligned with the ELAR TEKS for grade 5. 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 product’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 Step Up to the TEKS Supplemental Program, which has a stated purpose of additional instruction and/or practice for reading comprehension, includes an Implementation Guide. The “Integration of the Step Up to the TEKS Supplemental Program” section 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, and/or supplementary homework assignments. Each activity connects to the TEKS, allowing the educator to quickly identify which lessons/activities they can use to address areas of need. The guide also provides information about embedded formative assessments that provide feedback on students’ understanding and progress.

The Teacher Guide explains how to 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 tells 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 Step Up to the TEKS Supplemental Program includes a “Scope and Sequence Overview” section in the Implementation Guide that lists all of the units in the program. Each unit lists lessons and the specific reading and writing skills covered in them, such as context clues, word analysis, and concept organization.

The program includes a “Rationale for Scope and Sequence” in the Implementation Guide. This section explains why student skills are presented in a step-by-step order to support literacy development and TEKS mastery. It 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 correlated study materials. The chart shows where each of the TEKS and other skills are 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 materials include a “Time Requirements and Suggested Pacing” section in the Teacher Guide that outlines estimated time frames for each part of the lesson cycle, such as 5–10 minutes each for warm-ups and mini-lessons. Lessons consist of warm-ups, TEKS-focused mini-lessons, guided practice for students who need extra support, partner practice, and an independent practice/formative assessment. Recommendations for the frequency of these lessons are included in the “Flexible Use of the Program Across Instructional Models” section in the Teacher Guide, offering educators flexible implementation options and instructional strategies for classroom use. The materials allow educators to deliver lessons in full or divide them into smaller segments across multiple days.

The Teacher Edition for 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 of 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 with an anchor chart. After the TEKS lesson is completed, 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 provides an overview of the supplemental program and its design. The letter includes a “Family Tips” sheet that offers ways to encourage reading and writing at home; example activities include creating a daily reading ritual and exploring genres together. The letter also features 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. These formative assessments directly measure the literacy skills introduced in each lesson. Ample formative assessments are provided before students take a summative assessment.

The program also includes a STAAR-based final assessment that directly measures writing skills taught in the program. The program includes one final assessment each for writing skills and for literacy skills. Lastly, the TEKSnology.com database contains 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 materials include an “Instructional Assessments Overview and Guidance” section in the Teacher Guide that provides definitions and purposes 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 guide teaching decisions. Each assessment type is clearly defined to show how it supports instruction and helps educators monitor student learning.

The Teacher Guide includes the definition and intended purpose of instructional assessments. For example, formative assessments serve as ongoing checks during lessons; they also help educators monitor student growth and guide instruction. CBAs and benchmarks are periodic measures of students’ progress, designed to assess mastery of the TEKS-aligned skills. The guide outlines the purpose of each assessment type and 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, and needed materials. There is also guidance on how to score, follow up, and ensure consistent and accurate information. The document also offers an introduction script for educators and information on how item types vary across formats.

The “Reading Power Review” lessons include clear guidance for consistent and accurate administration of the final assessment. Each assessment is designed to take 50–60 minutes. A scripted introduction is provided to help educators standardize administration by delivering uniform directions to all students. The materials include a testing tip and specific instructions for completing the assessment to ensure that all students receive the same clear guidance and test conditions.

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

Assessments offer a variety of questions that evaluate varying levels of complexity. For example, an eight-item assessment for synthesizing information includes questions such as “Based on the information in the selection, what can the reader infer about the other people involved in the orchestra?” Another item prompts, “Four sentences are highlighted in the passage. On the lines below, write the sentence from the selection that is an adage. Explain its meaning.” The Teacher Guide tells educators what types of questions are included, such as inferential, evaluative, and literal.

The materials include assessments that use grade-level texts from a variety of genres. These assessments 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. This variety allows students to demonstrate understanding through both selected-response and constructed-response formats.

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

TEKSnology.com automates most grading tasks and delivers reports directly to the educator. These reports can be found in the “Assignments” tab, in “Needs Manual Grading” and “Graded” sections. Educators can view a student’s work by using the “Gradebook” link and clicking on the percentage (Student Work). They can leave comments for the student or change the auto-grade.

The “Reports” tab provides educators with results for each assessment in either a Course Report or a Standards Report, viewable by strand or by reporting category. These reports provide educators with students’ scores, labeled as “Masters,” “Meets,” “Approaching,” or “Did Not Meet.” The reports can be viewed 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 trends in performance on assessments. 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 students’ performance and identify instructional needs. The materials organize each book by the TEKS and concept, allowing educators to connect assessment results to specific lessons and resources for targeted instruction and intervention.

The Teacher Guide provides guidance that educators can use after assessments are completed. The “Using Data to Guide Instruction” section provides five steps that educators should follow: Review student 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.

The materials include tools for educators to track students’ progress and growth. TEKSnology.com Reports allow educators to monitor student performance by the 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.

The materials also include tools for students 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. Using 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. The materials also provide a “Student Reflection and Goal-Setting” form to support ongoing progress monitoring and goal setting.

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 Editions for the Reading Practice Book and the Writing Practice Book offer 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 during partner practice. These strategies include reteaching, modeling, and small-group practice for students who have not yet demonstrated proficiency. These differentiation strategies are available throughout all lessons in the program.

The Teacher Editions for the Reading Practice Book and the Writing Practice Book include guidance for providing additional support to students who have not yet reached proficiency. For example, educators can find guidance for reteaching following the “Independent Practice” section, which aligns with the TEKS. This guidance includes reviewing students’ work, pinpointing areas in which 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 help. A “Reteach” section” appears in every lesson after the formative assessment. For example, in the Teacher Edition for the Writing Practice Book, each “Reteach” section provides guidance on “What may need to be retaught after working on the TEKS?” This guidance further breaks down the reteaching process for differentiated small groups, including students who perform below proficiency.

Lastly, lessons in the Teacher Edition for the Writing Practice Book provide educator “Reteach” guidance for students who perform below proficiency, emergent bilingual (EB) students and English as a Second Language (ESL) program students, and students who receive 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, allowing educators to select enrichment tasks that promote critical thinking, creative expression, and meaningful engagement with texts. These optional activities support educators in adjusting instruction to students’ strengths while keeping work anchored in grade‑level expectations.

The Teacher Editions for the Reading Practice Book and the Writing Practice Book include guidance for providing differentiated instruction and activities for students who demonstrate or exceed proficiency in grade-level skills, encouraging the use of extension activities for students who demonstrate proficiency. For example, after each lesson’s formative assessment in the Teacher Edition for the Writing Practice Book, the “Reteach” section provides guidance on “What may need to be retaught after working on the 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 includes a definition of SDI and an explanation on how instruction can be tailored to meet individual students’ needs while maintaining access to the grade-level TEKS. The SDI guide also contains tips for modifying instructional delivery through scaffolding, pacing, grouping, and response formats, and specific strategies and alternative response options to support student access and engagement.

The Teacher Editions for the Reading Practice Book and the Writing Practice Book include guidance for differentiated instruction and activities for students who receive special education services, encouraging reteaching strategies and other practices to support students who receive special education services. For example, following each lesson’s formative assessment in the Teacher Edition for the Writing Practice Book, “Reteach” offers guidance on “What may need to be retaught after working on the 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, in the Teacher Edition for the Writing Practice Book, educators receive guidance “for students receiving special education services.” This guidance includes using “multisensory tools such as color coded cards for 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 prompts to help educators model reading comprehension skills using specific texts during a lesson. 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. Every lesson includes sidebars that highlight the TEKS, vocabulary, and background knowledge needed for the lesson. The materials also offer sentence frames to support instruction.

The Teacher Editions for the Reading Practice Book and the Writing Practice Book are designed to guide educators in modeling and explaining concepts effectively. The TEKS lesson follows an “I Do” model in which educators present the TEKS, explain their purpose, and demonstrate a specific concept using visual tools 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, prompts for the TEKS lesson in the Teacher Edition for the Writing Practice Book guide educators to review the anchor chart for irregular past-, present-, and future-tense verbs with students and model the use of each tense using an irregular verb. The educator then 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 instructional approaches such as direct instruction, educator modeling, partner discussions, whole-group questioning, guided practice, and independent application. For example, during the introduction of new material, educators present concepts, build background knowledge, and model reading skills through direct instruction. During guided practice, students engage in a variety of instructional activities such as working with a partner to practice a modeled skill, responding to educator questions in a whole-group setting, and reading independently to apply the skill. Lesson plans include guidance for facilitating these activities, and this support is consistent throughout the program.

Additionally, “Writing Power Review” lessons in the Step Up to the TEKS Supplemental Program provide step-by-step guidance via a “Teaching Model and Practice” section. Educators demonstrate a specific 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.

Lastly, in the Teacher Edition for the Reading Practice Book, students learn how to form mental images. The educator stops students as they are reading an assigned poem, directing them to draw what they think is the author’s topic. The TEKSnology component provides educators with digital resources, including videos and slides.

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 the suggested duration for lessons and highlights the most appropriate time for each structure. This support helps educators align supplemental practice with core classroom instruction for successful program implementation.

The materials provide guidance for educators on recommended structures (e.g., whole group, small group, and/or individual instruction) to support effective implementation of the program. For example, the TEKS lesson in the Writing Practice Book provides 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 includes the “Supporting Emergent Bilingual Students Across ELPS Levels” section, which provides an introduction to the educator supports in the program. For example, the program provides sentence frames, educator modeling, think-alouds, and ongoing formative feedback to track students’ growth and target support. The “Best Practices and Strategies” chart contains instructional strategies, their purposes, recommended ELPS proficiency levels, when to use them, and examples from lessons. Supports include visual aids, 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 that are 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 for the Writing Practice Book provides guidance on using linguistic accommodations across lessons for various language proficiency levels. For example, each lesson includes an educator information section that provides guidance “for bilingual and ESL 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 offer guidance on supporting EB students in a general education setting and in working with their families, they do not provide guidance on effectively using the materials in state-approved bilingual and ESL programs.

The materials include explanatory materials on how to use the program with EB students but lack implementation guidance to support educators in effectively integrating the materials into state-approved bilingual/ESL programs. For example, there are SDI and “Supporting Emergent Bilingual Students Across ELPS Levels” supports but no reference sections for educators to provide specific guidance on using the materials in state-approved bilingual/ESL programs (such as 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).

Texts that students can read, discuss, and write about include 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, which provide students with opportunities to read literary, informational, argumentative, and poetic texts that are aligned to the grade-level TEKS.

Students have opportunities to read a variety of high-quality, grade-level texts of increasing complexity throughout the program. The selections include academic vocabulary, varied sentence structures, and genre-specific text features that support close reading and comprehension. For example, the argumentative passage “Helping Older Neighbors” requires students to identify the author’s opinion, analyze supporting reasons, and connect evidence from the text to the author’s claim. These varied text types provide opportunities for students to read complex literary and informational texts that are aligned to the program’s stated purpose.

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

The materials offer a variety of high-quality literary and informational texts at different levels of complexity. Throughout the program, students engage with accessible fiction selections and straightforward informational texts before progressing to more sophisticated literary works that incorporate multiple perspectives, themes, and symbolic elements. Students also read content-rich informational texts that require deeper analysis and critical thinking. This progression provides students with opportunities to engage with increasingly complex texts while building the skills necessary for higher levels of comprehension and analysis.

The materials also give students a range of engaging, high-quality texts that support reading growth and keep them interested. Students read a fictional narrative about a river rafting trip that turns dangerous, along with a personal letter that recounts the event. While the narrative is straightforward, with a clear sequence of events, the letter adds reflection and asks students to consider the writer’s feelings. Together these texts help students understand events in different ways and build comprehension skills through accessible, varied reading experiences. Across the collection, students encounter texts at different levels of complexity and build confidence as they grow into more challenging reading.

Lastly, the materials provide students with a variety of high-quality texts at different levels of complexity throughout the program. Passages require students to think deeply to understand, and include vocabulary, complex sentence structures, and information that builds on students’ life experiences. For example, the argumentative text “Dangers of No Sidewalks” 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.

Texts in this program 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. The 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 for the Step Up to the TEKS Supplemental Program also reflects a range of cultural perspectives, family traditions, life experiences, and historical contributions. Through stories, informational texts, traditional tales, and biographies, students encounter fictional and real characters 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.

Lastly, the materials offer texts with cross-curricular content such as science and social studies that are meaningful and of high interest for students. For example, Growing Home is about a student who moves and misses their old home. Planting a bottle garden helps them become friends with their neighbors. Many students can identify with moving to a new place and needing to make new friends.

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 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 text, helping students develop the knowledge needed for comprehension. This scaffolding supports students in making meaningful connections to the content and increases their ability 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 a selected text. This knowledge gives students context about the topic, situation, or key concepts; helps them connect the text to what they already know; and helps them understand the passage better. For example, the “Background Knowledge” section for the “The 442nd Regimental Combat Team” states, “Students should understand that World War II was a major conflict involving the United States, Japan, and Germany. They should know that fear during wartime can cause people to act unfairly toward others. Students should also recognize that loyalty means showing support and commitment to your country.”

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

Each warm-up and TEKS lesson includes vocabulary support in a Teacher Edition sidebar that identifies key terms related to the reading skill being taught. By presenting academic and skill-specific vocabulary words before students begin instruction, the materials provide opportunities for educators to clarify unfamiliar language, build understanding of essential concepts, and prepare students to engage successfully with the lesson’s activities and texts.

Vocabulary support is also embedded throughout the “Warm-Up,” “TEKS Lesson,” “Guided Practice,” and “Partner Practice” sections of each lesson. The Teacher Edition highlights important words and terms before students encounter them in practice or reading selections, which allows educators to pre-teach unfamiliar vocabulary and address potential misconceptions. This consistent vocabulary scaffolding supports comprehension and helps students access increasingly complex texts and reading tasks with greater confidence.

Lastly, in the Teacher Edition, each warm-up and each TEKS lesson includes sidebar vocabulary that educators introduce before students engage with the reading selection. When students learn about adages and puns, the lesson pre-teaches those vocabulary words to build understanding before reading. The materials also provide an anchor chart with visuals, definitions, and example sentences for each term, supporting educators as they introduce unfamiliar vocabulary and prepare students to comprehend the accompanying text.

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.

Each TEKS lesson provides direct instruction on using context clues to determine the meanings 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, helping students understand how contextual analysis works before they apply the strategy independently.

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

Lastly, the Teacher Edition provides the passage “Shining and Heating” to model contextual analysis during direct instruction. The educator uses the “Context Clues” anchor chart to demonstrate how the surrounding text helps determine the meaning of words such as hydrogen, furnishes, and produces before students practice applying the strategy with the passage.

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.

During partner practice, students independently apply contextual analysis strategies while reading authentic texts. They 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 enables students to reinforce a specific skill after explicit instruction and guided practice and promotes greater independence in vocabulary development.

For example, after a lesson about context clues, students can practice the skill with short passages. One passage, “Charlie’s Adventure,” provides students with the opportunity to use context clues to determine the meaning of the words emerged, encouragement, and concerned.

Exit slips in the appendix of the “Reading Power Review” lessons 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 5 TEKS expectations.

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 of the TEKS lessons provides systematic and explicit instruction on 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. Ultimately, students 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 5 TEKS.

Throughout the Teacher Edition for the Reading Practice Book, students engage with questions and tasks that require comprehension at multiple levels. Lessons offer 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.

Furthermore, 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, as 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 into guided practice using a shared selection; they discuss text structure, annotate the text, and apply the skill with educator support. Instruction progresses from identifying the author’s claim to analyzing supporting evidence, then to determining the author’s purpose and evaluating response choices. The consistent sequence of modeling, guided practice, and application also provides educators with support for direct instruction at multiple levels, ensuring that students receive explicit instruction in literal, inferential, and evaluative comprehension skills. For example, the lesson for the fable “The Ant and the Grasshopper” provides educators with three steps to teach, then students practice multiple themes.

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 the text; draw conclusions using textual evidence; and analyze ideas, themes, or messages presented by the author. Students must explain their thinking and support their responses with evidence, which provides repeated opportunities to apply comprehension skills at increasing levels of complexity.

For example, the Reading Practice Book provides opportunities for students to apply comprehension skills across a variety of grade-level literary and informational texts, including stories, poems, articles, biographies, traditional literature, and argumentative passages. Each selection includes questions and response tasks that move students 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 aligned to the grade 5 TEKS expectations.

Lastly, in the Reading Practice Book, students engage with literal, inferential, and evaluative comprehension tasks. For example, after reading the story “A Tough Break,” students answer literal questions about details and events in the text, such as why Joseph holds the drum a certain way and why a photograph is included. Students also respond to inferential questions that require them to determine word meanings from context and connect ideas in the text. Evaluative tasks prompt students to identify a theme and support their responses with evidence from the selection. Throughout the program, students receive opportunities to practice comprehension skills at multiple levels and use text evidence to support their understanding.

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

The Teacher Edition for 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 use of conventions contributes to clear and effective communication.

Lastly, the materials include systematic direct instruction in writing conventions in the context of authentic writing and in isolation. For example, the Teacher Edition for the Writing Practice Book shows that students learn about subject–verb agreement, splices, and run-ons. Then students learn about verbs, nouns, adjectives, articles, adverbs, prepositional phrases, pronouns, coordinating conjunctions, subjects, predicates, and sentences. The Teacher Edition also contains lessons on capitalization, punctuation, and grammar. The structure of the 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 have opportunities to 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. They review instructional supports, complete guided examples, and independently apply convention skills. This work allows students to build accuracy and confidence before transferring those skills to authentic writing tasks.

The materials also provide opportunities for students to 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 writing convention skills within meaningful passages and extended texts, students can practice using standard English conventions in contexts that mirror real reading and writing experiences.

Lastly, students can practice syntax, spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation in the context of authentic writing and in isolation. For example, the lesson “Adjectives—Comparative and Superlative” provides an anchor chart with definition and examples for students. A table on the anchor chart prompts students and the educator to determine the comparative and superlative form of four adjectives. This lesson provides an opportunity for students to write sentences using each word and complete five fill-in-the-blank questions using adjectives.

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 for 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 they apply genre-specific guidance to compose polished pieces for publication and sharing, reinforcing the complete writing process from prewriting to presentation.

The materials also provide explicit instruction in drafting, revising, and editing through a sequence of lessons that gradually develops students’ writing skills. Educators model how to transform planned ideas into complete sentences and organized paragraphs during drafting lessons. Revision lessons 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, in alignment with the grade-level TEKS expectations.

Lastly, the materials provide direct instruction on each step of the writing process—planning, drafting, revising, editing, and sharing. Lessons begin with an anchor chart that educators can use when explaining the steps of the writing process. For example, when students begin to plan their first drafts, they view the “Introductions” anchor chart, which provides definitions and examples so students can learn about literary and nonliterary introductions. They then begin 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. These skills appear in multiple lessons, so 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 various graphic organizers and planning tools. The appendix in the Teacher Edition of the Writing Practice Book includes resources such as RAFT activities (RAFT is R: Role—Who are you as the writer?; A: Audience—Who are you writing to?; F: Format—What form will the writing take?; and T: Topic—What are you writing about?). The appendix also provides 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 writing. Students 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.

The materials also provide repeated opportunities for students 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.

In summary, students have opportunities to practice each step of the writing process: planning, drafting, revising, editing, and sharing. The appendix provides an additional example, offering five different “strategies to plan writing.” This list includes the RAFT process, mentor text analysis, mind mapping, 5Ws and 1H, and character creation. Each tool is detailed in a chart in the appendix, which 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 on the writing craft through direct teaching, modeling, and guided application of genre-specific techniques. In the Teacher Edition for 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, supporting the development of effective and purposeful communication.

The materials also include direct instruction on the writing craft across a variety of text types, such as 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.

Lastly, students receive explicit writing craft instruction 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, they receive an anchor chart with genre characteristics detailing the structure of poetry with definitions and explanations of imagery and figurative language. The anchor chart also provides information about different sound devices that can be used in poetry. Students are also supported by a sample poem that explains the elements of poetry and lessons on “Poetry Ideas” and “Poetic Forms.” The poem “The Brown Thrush” allows students to independently review the elements of poetry.

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 on writing composition across a variety of 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 response (SCR) and extended constructed response (ECR) texts. 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 longer, multi-paragraph responses. Through gradual release from modeled examples to independent writing, students receive explicit support in composing responses of varying lengths and purposes, in alignment with the grade-level TEKS requirements.

Lastly, the materials include explicit instruction in writing composition for various text types in a variety of text lengths. For example, when students learn about writing argumentative texts, educators can use the “Argumentative Text Genre Characteristics” anchor chart to teach them about claims, evidence, conclusions, and audience. In the next lesson, students write their own argumentative compositions using a prompt. They begin the writing process with an introduction and a claim, adding evidence and learning about “facts for and against.” Students then complete their compositions with a conclusion. Afterward, they practice their new skills with the argumentative text “Thinking Inside the Box” and write their own argumentative compositions.

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.

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 the grade-level TEKS expectations.

The materials also 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 include longer mentor texts such as 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.

Lastly, the Writing Practice Book and the “Writing Power Review” lessons include mentor texts across multiple genres that educators can use to model writing. In the Teacher Edition for the Writing Practice Book, these texts include a personal narrative (“Flying Down the Mountain”), a fictional story (“The Broken Window”), a poem (“A Summer Day”), an informational article (“The Most Unique Place Ever”), and an argumentative piece (“When to Start? Let’s Be Smart!”). Each text provides an example of genre-specific characteristics such as narrative details, character development, imagery, explanatory structures, and claims supported by reasons. These mentor texts help educators teach how authors organize ideas, develop pieces, and use language within different types of writing.

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. The variety of composition opportunities allows students to practice and refine writing skills across multiple genres throughout the program.

Students also have opportunities 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, which require planning, conceptual development, 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.

In summary, the materials include opportunities for students to practice writing composition in a variety of text types such as literary, informational, and argumentative and various text lengths such as short constructed response and extended constructed response. An additional example is the instruction on writing a personal narrative, for which students receive the “Writing a Personal Narrative” anchor chart. Students then 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 on writing text-based responses through 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 for 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 text 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 specific text.

Lastly, the materials provide explicit instruction on writing text-based responses such as short constructed responses and extended constructed responses with a variety of grade-level texts. Lesson 7 provides 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 explicitly teaches “Breaking Down the Prompt,” and activity 3 provides students with 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.

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.

Students have ongoing opportunities to respond to a variety of 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 opportunities for students to practice writing short constructed responses and extended constructed responses with 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 via the sample text “Pop Corn!” and provides a sentence-completion example so students can practice. The last activity is tied to the passage “The Art Project.” Students use the RACE strategy to respond to the prompt “What can the reader infer about Sam’s and Lila’s relationship from the passage? Support your answer with evidence from the selection.”