Units of Study in Phonics, Grade 2

Evaluation for 1.1a
Materials include a scope and sequence outlining the TEKS, ELPS, and concepts taught in the course.

Phonics Instruction in the Units of Study in Phonics, K–2, includes a chart outlining lesson topics and concepts throughout the units. Although these planning supports are present, the materials—both print and digital—do not provide explicit or consistent connections to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) or the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS). The grade 2 materials comprise four units, each structured into three Bends that typically include about six lessons. These lessons feature Mini-Lessons, Rug Clubs, opportunities for sharing, and extensions. A Guide to the Phonics Units of Study enumerates the strands in early phonics development, covering phonological awareness/phonemic awareness, rhyming, segmenting and blending, concepts of print, letter-sound correspondence, hearing and recording all sounds in words, digraphs and blends, phonograms/blending/word building, short vowels, long vowels, inflectional endings, contractions, vowel teams (including diphthongs), multisyllabic words, r-controlled vowels, high-frequency words, fluency, and vocabulary. Despite this comprehensive list, there is no alignment to the TEKS and ELPS. The grade 2 materials include unit overviews for phonics, organized into Bends consisting of groups of lessons. These lessons are titled by phonics skills or presented narratively, with examples such as "Second-Graders Become Professors of Phonics," "Revisiting Silent E," "Learning Long Vowels and Vowel Teams from Reading Literature," "The Master of Disguise," and "The Commotion Around -tion."

Evaluation for 1.1b
Materials include suggested pacing (pacing guide/calendar) to support effective implementation for various instructional calendars (e.g., varying numbers of instructional days-165, 180, 210)

Overview of each unit book lists lessons organized into Bends I, II, and III for each unit. This resource outlines the structure of each lesson, including suggested time allocations for components such as Rug Time, share, and extension, as well as an estimated duration for overall phonics instruction. A Guide to the Phonics Units of Study describes the structure of a daily lesson, including recommended instructional time and the purpose of each segment. Additionally, the inside front cover of the Word-Part Power unit contains a unit overview with information on the three Bends, instructional routines, and a sequence guide detailing the order of activities. While these resources provide general guidance on lesson structure and approximate instructional time, they do not include a pacing guide that aligns specific lessons to a daily or weekly calendar. Each unit includes an "Overview" (e.g., Unit 1, "Growing into Second-Grade Phonics"), which outlines the Bends and sessions, along with a summary of share and extension activities. The overall curriculum features 76 numbered lessons across its four units, supplemented by an additional 48 small group lessons or sessions. Each unit's overview provides a numbered sequence for its sessions or lessons. Furthermore, in Unit 1, Session One, a Getting Ready inset is included to assist in session preparation. Materials do not include suggested pacing (pacing guide/calendar) to support effective implementation.

Evaluation for 1.1c
Materials include an explanation for the rationale of unit order as well as how concepts to be learned connect throughout the course.

A Guide to the Phonics Units of Study offers an overview of how phonics concepts are introduced throughout the curriculum. This can be found in the Nuts and Bolts section along with the structure, methods, schedule, materials, and social systems for phonics instruction. The materials include a rationale for the unit order. "An Orientation to the Unit" provides a unit overview that outlines and describes the content taught in each unit. For example, in Unit 2, Bend I, students learn to read multisyllabic words "tip to tail," including the six syllable types. Bend II focuses on silent consonants such as 'G' and 'H'. Bend III covers inflectional endings and the rule of dropping 'E' before adding vowel suffixes. The rationale provided for this sequence is that students need to read multisyllabic words due to their increasing presence in complex texts. The materials include a rationale for the unit order. The "Principles Undergirding This Phonics Curriculum" section offers a rationale for teaching phonics, but it does not explain the logic behind the specific progression of phonics skills within the grade 2 curriculum. The materials do not include an explanation for how the concepts to be learned connect throughout the course. The materials consistently include a unit overview with a rationale for the lesson order or progression of phonics skills. For instance, in Unit 1, Bend I, the focus is on key phonics principles, while Bend II supports conventions work, and Bend III includes rhymes and rimes. In another example for Unit 1, Bend I concentrates on multisyllabic words, Bend II addresses complex consonant combinations, and Bend III involves spelling with inflected endings. While these resources explain the structure and instructional purpose of individual units, they do not present a cohesive overview of how phonics concepts build across the entire course.

Evaluation for 1.1d
Materials include protocols with corresponding guidance for unit and lesson internalization.

"An Overview to the Unit" provides a learning sequence for each unit, detailing student learning within each Bend. While some references to syllable types, such as r-controlled vowels in Bend I, are specific, others are less precise, like "to work on 'growing up' their writing, by working to spell some tricky snap words correctly." A Getting Ready sidebar consistently informs the teacher of necessary materials and objectives for each session. For instance, in Session 11, the Word-Solving-Spelling objective is to develop strategies for correctly spelling homophones. The Vocabulary objective is to learn strategies for determining the meaning of homophones using sentence-level context, and the high-frequency words objective is to introduce new homophone high-frequency words: hear, here. To further prepare teachers, an "In this session" component is included. For example, it states: "Today is the first of two sessions on R-controlled vowels. You will remind students that when they are writing words, it helps to listen to hear if the word contains an 'R' sound, and if it does, to use their ear muscles to distinguish between the sounds. . . . Today, your students will do a lot of sorting. They will join you in looking at picture cards and sorting them according to whether they make the sound in 'tiger,' 'fork,' or 'car,' and they will continue to do that work with smaller pocket charts that you distribute, one to each group."

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

The Guide to the Phonics Units of Study includes an appendix titled "Assessment Tools," which offers a recommended assessment schedule, checklists, benchmarks, and scoring sheets to support assessment implementation and inform instruction. Chapter 3 of A Guide to the Phonics Units of Study, K–2, details the overall program structure, daily instructional routines, and strategies for establishing a schoolwide phonics system. Additionally, each unit contains an "Orientation to the Unit" section, which includes a unit overview, a Getting Ready subsection, and directions for accessing online digital resources. However, the materials lack implementation resources for administrators, such as pacing guidance, a comprehensive materials list, and implementation tools like checklists or rubrics specifically designed for instructional leaders.

Evaluation for 1.2a
Materials include comprehensive unit overviews that provide the background content knowledge and academic vocabulary necessary to effectively teach the concepts in the unit.

Chapter 2, titled "Anticipate, Observe, and Support Phonics Development (including English Learners and Students with Dyslexia)," defines essential vocabulary, including phonological/phonemic awareness, rhyming, segmenting and blending, concepts about print, letter-sound correspondence, letter instruction, digraphs and blends, phonograms, blending and word building, short vowels, long vowels, inflectional endings, contractions, vowel teams (including diphthongs), multisyllabic words, r-controlled vowels, and high-frequency words. The materials include comprehensive unit overviews that provide the background content knowledge necessary to effectively teach the concepts in the unit. "An Orientation to the Unit" provides a unit overview that outlines the learning progression across its three Bends. For example, Bend I focuses on Fostering Word Consciousness, Bend II on Growing Our Word Collections with Compound Words, and Bend III on Growing Our Word Collections with Affixes. This orientation also includes a narrative section detailing background knowledge about student reading and writing behaviors, such as the idea that "Proficient readers maintain left-to-right directionality when solving words" and that "One reason multisyllabic words can be difficult for many readers is that they do not know where syllables begin and end, so they do not know which chunks to work with." While some vocabulary is implicitly provided within the narrative, the Orientation explicitly defines terms like closed/CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant), silent E/CVCe (cover consonant-vowel-consonant-e), vowel team/CVVC (consonant-vowel-vowel-consonant), r-controlled, consonant-le, and open syllables. Unit 4 includes an "Overview, Word Collector." Within Unit 4, the "In This Session-Today you will/Today Your Students . . . " section clearly states the teacher's focus, such as on "tricky words." The materials do not include the academic vocabulary necessary to effectively teach the concepts in the unit. Although sidebars throughout the units include some academic vocabulary and instructional tips, there is no systematic method to help teachers easily locate or reference academic vocabulary across lessons. As a result, support for academic vocabulary is limited and not readily accessible within the lesson-level materials.

Evaluation for 1.2b
Materials contain supports for families in both Spanish and English for each unit with suggestions on supporting the progress of their student.

A Guide to the Phonics Units of Study includes strategies to support English learners during phonics instruction. Chapter 5 provides additional instructional guidance for supporting students' phonics development, with specific attention to English learners and students with dyslexia. However, no materials are provided to engage families or caregivers in supporting phonics learning at home. This includes a lack of take-home materials, guardian letters, or home-language resources in English or Spanish. The curriculum materials feature a Share component, where students, such as those in Unit 2, Session 15, can present their learning, including insights on word formation with endings like s, ch, sh, and z. However, the materials lack guidance on how to communicate this shared information or the results of assessments (like "snap words" and developmental spelling evaluations) to families in either English or Spanish. The materials do not contain support for families in English for each unit, with suggestions on supporting the progress of their student(s). Online digital resources accompanying the units provide Spanish-language materials, including classroom aids and charts specifically designed to support teachers working with Spanish-speaking students. The materials do not include support in Spanish for each unit, with suggestions on supporting the progress of their student. For English-language learners and students with dyslexia, lesson sidebars offer specific support, such as the note that "Often, students with dyslexia benefit from explicit rules or generalizations. Most often, the longer spelling (dge) comes after a short vowel."

Evaluation for 1.3a
Materials include comprehensive, structured, detailed lesson plans that include daily objectives, questions, tasks, materials, and instructional assessments required to meet the content and language standards of the lesson (aligned with the TEKS and the ELPS).

The curriculum materials provide a consistent lesson structure that includes a Connection, Teaching Point, Teaching, Active Engagement/Link, Rug Time, Share, and Extensions. A Getting Ready sidebar consistently lists necessary materials for each session. The materials do not include comprehensive, structured, detailed lesson plans required to meet content standards (aligned to the TEKS or ELPS). The lesson plans are designed for effective implementation of grade-level instruction, incorporating questions and discussion prompts to check comprehension, promote critical thinking, and facilitate engagement with texts. Both the Rug Time and share components specifically contribute to these objectives. For instance, in Session 7, "Hiding in Plain Sight," and Session 9, "Listen for Where You Hear the Vowels," daily objectives are provided, though they are not aligned to standards. In both sessions, the active engagement sections allow for checking student understanding. Sidebars include Possible Coaching Moves with prompts to help students meet language objectives. The Share activity, such as teaching a skill to a peer (e.g., teaching others about long A in Session 9), offers an opportunity for students to demonstrate mastery of the lesson. While a Getting Ready section lists materials, neither Session 7 nor Session 9 includes a formal lesson assessment beyond observational opportunities. The materials include lessons with questions; however, they do not include questions to check for understanding of lesson objectives. Unit 2 includes an overview for "Big Words Take Big Resolve: Tackling Multisyllabic Words." Specifically, Unit 2's Session 6 details components such as "in this session," Mini-Lesson/Connection, Getting Ready, Phonics Instruction, Teaching, Active Engagement, Rug Time, and Share. The materials include lesson plans that include a list of necessary materials.

Evaluation for 1.3b
Materials include a lesson overview listing the teacher and student materials necessary to effectively deliver the lesson, and the suggested timing for each lesson component.

The materials consistently provide a Getting Ready section within lessons, listing necessary teacher and student materials, resources, and possible lesson prerequisites. For example, in Session 5, "Creating Word Thermometers," the teacher requires a stack of gradiented adjectives, photos, synonym cards, and a class scrapbook, while students need a group pocket chart and synonym word cards. While lesson overviews for grade 2 generally include suggested timing for each component and necessary materials, specific session timings are not always provided, such as for Session 5, which lacks a suggested overall time or breakdown for individual parts. The materials include student materials necessary to effectively deliver the lesson. The materials do not include suggested timing (or time allocations) for each lesson component. In A Guide to the Phonics Unit of Study, Nuts and Bolts describes the Mini-Lesson as a "Micro-Lesson"—shorter than a typical reading Mini-Lesson. It details three parts with approximate timings: connection (about 1 minute), teaching (2–3 minutes), and active engagement link (2–3 minutes), but does not specify times for Rug Time, share, or extensions. However, "The Architecture of Your Small Groups" within "Small Groups to Support Phonics" for grade 2 does provide minute breakdowns for its component parts, and this section also includes Getting Ready, "Best Taught to . . . ," and "Best Taught during" sections to prepare teachers for small group instruction. The materials include the teacher materials necessary to effectively deliver the lesson. Throughout lessons, components are labeled with short descriptors. Examples include a connection activity: "Invite students to play a game, 'One of these things is not like the others,' in which you and a student don a similarly colored mustache, and Gus sports one of a different color." Under the Teaching subheading, an example states: "Guide students to discover how listening for rhyming words in a text, not just looking for them, can help you discover them."

Evaluation for 1.3c
Materials include guidance on the effective use of lesson materials for extended practice (e.g., homework, extension, enrichment).

The materials consistently provide various extensions throughout lessons to solidify understanding and offer opportunities for extended practice, with some extensions providing strategies for practicing or writing "troublemaker words." For instance, in Session 11, 3 specific extensions are available: "Gus Eats Some Pie: A Study of Long I words with 'ie'," "A Singing Game About Dropping the 'y' and adding -ies and -ied," and "Guess My Pattern Game: Listening for long 'a', 'e', and 'i' spelling patterns." Similarly, Session 3 offers two extensions: "keeping 'g' and 'h' together" and "looking for familiar endings when breaking words into parts." Small group lessons also offer support for pre-teaching or extensions, including suggested lessons from the units of study. Within "Small Group to Support Phonics" for grade 2, "Challenge" activities are included to elevate the level of work, such as having a student teach an er lesson to their peers. The materials offer extension lessons for students to demonstrate proficiency and include guidance on the effective use of lesson materials for extended practice, with homework assignments also serving this purpose.

Evaluation for 2.1a
Materials include a variety of instructional assessments at the unit and lesson level (including diagnostic, formative, and summative) that vary in types of tasks and questions.

Grade 2 materials include four unit-level assessments, one to be administered during Unit 1, one after Unit 1, one after Unit 3, and a final assessment for the end of the year after Unit 4. The materials include formative assessments at the lesson level that vary in types of tasks. The developmental spelling assessment, titled "Help Gus Write a Picture Book," features an illustrated cloze story. The teacher reads the story aloud, and the student writes in the missing words, which include: gate, playing, shout, sprinted, park, taller, shirt, smile, hold, reached, few, annoy, tail, and slope. The teacher scores these spellings based on syllable types and endings, using a form to indicate if the student meets expectations for specific features, although the precise number of correct words required for "meeting expectations" is not clarified. This test format is the only one available for second grade within this specific assessment tool. The materials include formative assessments at the lesson level that vary in types of questions. Online digital resources provide two fill-in-the-blank spelling assessments with correlating illustrated pictures, exemplified by tasks such as, "Then suddenly, a butterfly landed on my______," and "I did not want to ______them." Under the "Assessment Tools" subheading, these digital resources offer links to various assessments, each accompanied by a description of what is being assessed, the procedure, necessary materials, and scoring guidelines. For instance, the rhyming assessment for phonological awareness includes distinct procedures for rhyme recognition and rhyme production, along with corresponding scoring guidelines. Informal assessment opportunities are present during Rug Time components, where students can be assessed while working, receive feedback, and be offered possible extensions. An example includes a lesson on hard and soft c and g, where students sort word cards based on their observations. A Guide to the Phonics Unit of Study incorporates assessments designed to track student growth both during and after units. These summative assessments are at the unit level and vary in types of tasks and questions. For example, during Unit 1, students will be assessed on Developmental Spelling. Unit 3 sessions include "Today your Students will . . . " sections, which articulate student expectations. An example from Session 9 describes students working with partners, testing long A spelling strategies by writing Post-it labels for long A picture cards. Overall, the materials provide a variety of instructional assessments at both the unit and lesson levels, featuring diverse tasks and questions. A Guide to the Phonics Units of Study recommends schedules for assessment tools, organized by units, to assess varying stages of development. Additionally, "Growing into Second-Grade Phonics" includes extensions at the end of each session, which are designed as assessment tools to evaluate different developmental stages.

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

Online digital resources, under the "Assessment Tools" subheading, offer links to various assessments. These links provide the assessment, a description of its purpose, procedures, necessary materials, and scoring guidelines. For example, a phonological awareness assessment for rhyming includes procedures for both rhyme recognition and production, along with scoring guidelines. Additionally, the "Assessment If/Then" link within the "Assessment Tools" subheading offers guidance on when to use this assessment. This guidance suggests: "As you near the end of each phonics unit of study, you will want to use the Units of Study in Phonics assessments to guide your next steps. These assessments will help you determine the phonological and phonics concepts students have mastered, the concepts to revisit and reteach in small groups, and help you identify areas where most of your class will benefit from additional support." The materials include the intended purpose for the types of instructional assessments, but not the definition of the types of assessments. Unit 2, Session 6, includes components such as "in this session," Mini-Lesson/Connection, Getting Ready, Phonics Instruction, Teaching, Active Engagement, Rug Time, and Share. Chapter 5 of A Guide to the Phonics Unit of Study includes "A summary of the Recommended Assessments." It provides an explanation of the assessment tool, offering suggestions on when to administer it, how to score it, and how to analyze results to determine if students are on track. This information is intended to help teachers plan customized instruction and grouping.

Evaluation for 2.1c
Materials include teacher guidance to ensure consistent and accurate administration of instructional assessments.

"Assessing Developmental Spelling: making a picture book" provides directions for administration but offers vague guidance on when and how to use the assessments, stating, "We invite you to use these assessments in ways that will give you the most valuable information, depending on the needs of your students." In the "Story Guidesheet," instructions for the student are: "'Gus drew the pictures for his story about going to a butterfly exhibit, but he has not finished writing some of the words. Will you help him fill in some of the words to complete his sentences?' As I read it, I will ask you to fill in the words till in the sentences and help Gus. You can write them right on your copy of Gus's story." The materials do not explicitly instruct teachers on whether to sound out words or how long to wait for responses, potentially leading to inconsistent administration. The materials do not include teacher guidance to ensure consistent administration of instructional assessments. Online digital resources house assessments with administration directions for accurate administration of assessments. For instance, for an assessment on digraph-sound correlation, the procedure is: "1. Place the digraph student copy in front of the child. 2. Ask, “Can you say the sounds of these digraphs?” 3. If the child says another possible sound that corresponds with the digraph, you can ask, “Do you know another sound those letters make?” For example, if the child says ”sh” for ”ch,” they may know that is the ”Ch” in Charlotte, but you want to prompt to see if they know that more common sound for the digraph." Another online spelling assessment is a fill-in-the-blank story with an illustration. The guidance for this assessment includes necessary materials, a procedure, and a scoring sheet. The procedure is as follows: "1. Choose the version of the assessment you will give, depending on the time of year and your students' level of proficiency. Version 1, The Tall Slide, assesses end-of-first-grade phonics features. 2. The Version 2 assessment, The Butterfly Exhibit, tests phonics features students will learn across the year in second grade. Give each child a copy of the three-page booklet. Ask them to write their name on the back of the booklet. 3. Refer to the Story Guidesheet. Read the introduction to set up the activity. Read the transcript of the story, repeating the noted words and asking children to write those words where indicated on the booklet. Encourage students to say each word slowly as they record sounds (like they do in a writing workshop). Do not help students by stretching the words out for them. 4. Encourage students to reread their pages to make sure everything looks right. 5. Collect the booklets and score them using the Developmental Spelling Assessment Scoring Sheet. Make plans to follow up with students who need additional support." A Guide to the Phonics Units of Study , Appendix: Assessment Tools includes the sequence, materials, and procedures for each assessment, along with a scoring sheet, scoring guide, and benchmarks for learning progression. Chapter 5, "Assessing Your Students' Phonics Development" in this guide, contains "The Big Work for Readers at Various Phases of Development Chart," which outlines phonics expectations based on what children are expected to do in reading. For example, a second grader should be able to recognize affixes (un-, ex-, -tion, -ly, etc.). The materials include teacher guidance to ensure accurate administration of instructional assessments.

Evaluation for 2.1d
Diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments are aligned to the TEKS and objectives of the course, unit, or lesson.

The curriculum includes assessments that are given 4 times a year: after Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, and Unit 4. However, these summative assessments are not aligned with the TEKS; instead, they mention alignment with Common Core. There are no diagnostic assessments provided. The assessment materials test the encoding of spelling features based on previously taught content. Unit 1 assessments cover CVCe, suffixes -ed and -er, blends/digraphs, CVVC, diphthongs, and r-controlled vowels. Unit 3 assessments also include CVCe, endings, blends/digraphs, CVVC, diphthongs, and r-controlled vowels. Unit 4 assessments focus on complex consonants, r-controlled vowels, CVVC, diphthongs, open syllables, final syllables, and inflectional endings. The materials do not include diagnostic assessments aligned to the TEKS of the course and do not include diagnostic assessments aligned to the objectives of the unit or lesson. During Rug Time, lesson activities are aligned to the TEKS. For example, in a lesson where the objective is to recognize, read, write, and edit words with inflectional endings -s and -es, students practice adding -s or -es to animal names, such as changing "Pacific Walrus" to "Pacific Walruses" and "Amur Leopard" to "Amur Leopards." Additionally, in a lesson activity about trigraphs (2.2Bi), examples are given for three-sound blends and digraph blends. The materials do not include summative assessments aligned to the TEKS of the course. The materials include summative assessments aligned to the objectives of the unit or lesson. A Guide to the Phonics Units of Study, Chapter 5: "Assessing Your Students' Phonics Development" includes "The Big Work for Readers at Various Phases of Development Chart," which outlines phonics expectations based on what children are expected to do in reading. For example, a second grader should be able to recognize affixes (un-, ex-, tion, -ly, etc.). The "Appendix: Assessment Tools" in the same guide provides the sequence, materials, procedures, a scoring sheet, a scoring guide, and benchmarks for learning progression for each assessment. The diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments are not aligned to the TEKS of the course, unit, or lesson, as the materials do not identify the TEKS assessed in each unit or lesson assessment.

Evaluation for 2.1e
Instructional assessments include TEKS-aligned items at varying levels of complexity.

The curriculum's assessments are not aligned with the TEKS, though they mention alignment to Common Core. However, assessment items include items that align with the TEKS, even though the materials do not name the TEKS. Grade 2 assessments consist solely of a developmental spelling inventory administered three times a year. This inventory assesses the six syllable types and inflectional endings, primarily using monosyllabic words. There are no opportunities within these assessments for decoding isolated or connected text. The materials do not include instructional assessments that include TEKS-aligned items at more than two levels of complexity. In a lesson on r-controlled vowels (2.2Bii), students are to read, sort, and write new r-controlled words as practice. Similarly, in a small group lesson about CVCe words (2.2Ci), students read, write, and create new CVCe words for practice. The materials include instructional assessments that include TEKS-aligned items at two levels of complexity.

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

Assessment materials located in A Guide to Phonics Unit of Study titled, “Assessing Developmental Spelling” and the “Story Guide Sheet” instruct teachers to score each blank box with a 0, 1, or 2. Two points are awarded if the tested feature is correct, even if the entire word is not. One point is given if the feature is incorrect but makes sense according to phonics principles. Zero points are assigned if the feature is entirely absent or illogical. However, materials do not include scoring information that provides guidance for interpreting student performance. In the Heinemann online material titled “Assessing Developmental Spelling,” the benchmark score is 5 to 6 in each category. If a child does not meet this benchmark for a particular feature, additional support is recommended, with a suggestion to refer to Small Groups to Support Phonics for targeted practice. This alignment between assessments and Small Groups to Support Phonics lessons is also available in the online "If/Then" document. The Developmental Spelling Assessment provides specific scoring information. After Unit 3, when students have been exposed to all assessed phonics features, the benchmark score remains 5 to 6 in each category. If students score lower, teachers are advised "not to worry," as there is still time to reinforce concepts before the end of the year. The collected data from this assessment should be used to plan small group work using Small Groups to Support Phonics, and for whole-class review after Unit 4. At the end of the year, the benchmark score is again 5 to 6 in each category. If a child does not meet this benchmark for a feature, additional support is planned, and Small Groups to Support Phonics is recommended for targeted practice. The scoring document lists specific skills, including complex consonants, r-controlled phonograms, CVVC/vowel teams, diphthongs, open syllables, final syllables, and inflectional endings. A Guide to the Phonics Unit of Study K–2, includes assessments designed to track student growth, help detect problems, and facilitate prompt intervention, but these materials do not include support for teacher interpretation. The instructional assessments offer guidance for interpreting student performance but lack direction for analysis. For instance, the assessment tools found in the Units of Study in Phonics Assessments help teachers determine student progress in various phonics development areas. The scoring information, specifically in the Developmental Spelling Assessment Scoring Sheet, indicates that the benchmark is a score of 5 to 6 in each category.

Evaluation for 2.2b
Materials provide guidance for the use of included tasks and activities to respond to student trends in performance on assessments.

In the resource A Guide to the Phonics Units of Study, teachers can use the "If/Then" section to determine next steps for their students. The "If/Then" section states, "Use data from these assessments, in conjunction with the If/Then chart that follows, to plan for small group instruction that supports these students." In Small Groups to Support Phonics, small group lessons include highlighted teacher support sections labeled as "Best taught to" and "Best taught during." For example, the "Kids Teach Kids" lesson is best taught to children who would benefit from assistance with using the silent e to indicate a long vowel, those who would benefit from solidifying their understanding of how and when to use silent e by teaching other students, and children who would benefit from being involved by teaching younger kids. This lesson is best taught during reading or writing workshops or during intervention. The "Joke Editor" lesson is best taught to children who could use extra practice in editing for capital letters, punctuation, and commonly misspelled high-frequency words during writing workshops or interventions. The materials provide guidance on using the included tasks and activities to address student performance trends on assessments. For example, the materials state: "As you near the end of each phonics unit of study, you'll want to use the Units of Study in Phonics assessments to guide your next steps. These assessments will help you determine the phonological and phonics concepts students have mastered, the concepts to revisit and reteach in small groups, and help teachers identify any areas where the majority of your class will benefit from additional support." Additionally, running records are highlighted as a valuable source of information for understanding students' phonics development, with guidance stating, "your reading assessments, such as running records, are another valuable source of information to understand your students' phonics development.”

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

The materials include tools for teachers to track student progress and growth. For example, the Developmental Spelling Assessment Scoring Sheet (Second Grade Assessment Version 2: The Butterfly Exhibit) serves as a tool to track student progress and growth from the beginning of the year, after Unit 3, and again after Unit 4. However, the materials do not include tools for students to track their own progress and growth, as the Second-Grade Developmental Spelling Assessment Scoring Sheet is for the teacher's records only. Recording sheets can be found in the Guide to Phonics Units of Study. Developmental Spelling and Spelling scoring sheets sections are provided for each assessment, but the materials do not offer a method for teachers or students to track progress or growth over time. While online materials include student and teacher recording forms, they also lack tools for tracking student performance over time. The Developmental Spelling Assessment Scoring Sheet located in the Guide to Phonics Units of Study is the data collection tool included for assessment, which teachers use to document student performance on that specific assessment only. In the Share component, students are prompted to share their learning; for instance, they are instructed to "get together with one person from another club, and you will teach someone in that club what you learned."

Evaluation for 3.1a
Materials include teacher guidance for differentiated instruction, activities, and paired (scaffolded) lessons for students who have not yet reached proficiency on grade-level content and skills.

"Small Groups to Support Phonics" provides teachers with next steps for differentiated instruction, activities, and paired (scaffolded) lessons for students who have not yet reached proficiency on grade-level content and skills. For example, within "Small Groups to Support Phonics," Chapter 1, the material offers sessions that correspond to "Growing into Second-Grade Phonics," Unit 1, aiming to solidify important first-grade concepts. Guidance for these small groups includes specifying which students would benefit most (e.g., those needing help with silent e or learning to spell by pattern), when the lessons are best taught (e.g., during intervention time or reading and writing workshops), and providing Possible Coaching Moves. These coaching moves offer specific adjustments and prompts, such as "Arrange the words in order, so that only one thing changes from one to the next," "Say the word slowly. Listen for parts you know," or "Write the first part. Now say it again and write the next part." Instruction for below-proficiency students focuses on reviewing foundational skills like vowel teams, r-controlled vowels, and common phonograms are found in the materials within "Small Groups to Support Phonics," Chapter 1, Sessions 1–7. Teachers are guided to use visual tools, such as vowel teams charts and anchor charts, to scaffold instruction and reinforce sound/spelling relationships. Targeted activities include sound-based word sorts and structured practice with high-frequency phonograms found in these lessons can serve as paired, scaffolded lessons that precede core instruction in the main units, offering focused practice on prerequisite skills. The materials within" Small Groups to Support Phonics", Chapter 1, Small Group 25, include a gradual release model for teaching strategies like decoding longer multisyllabic words by trying multiple vowel sounds. The teacher models this by demonstrating how to test long, short, and schwa sounds for each vowel until the correct pronunciation is found, then confirms it with sentence meaning. Students then practice with word cards in partner pairs, supported by a vowel sound chart. This skill is then applied through reading a poem with multisyllabic words and during independent reading, where students are reminded to try different vowel sounds until the word makes sense and sounds correct in context.

Evaluation for 3.1b
Materials include pre-teaching or embedded supports for unfamiliar vocabulary and references in text (e.g., figurative language, idioms, academic language). (T/S)

The curriculum incorporates various strategies for vocabulary instruction, though these are not consistently applied across all lessons. Some lessons begin with a teacher-shared real-world example to pre-teach concepts, such as idioms, before students encounter them in texts. For example, in "Small Groups to Support Phonics," Small Group 46, teachers introduce concepts like idioms by sharing personal examples of confusion, providing a real-world context. Students then engage in partner activities where they read idiomatic phrases and discuss possible meanings, building background knowledge and vocabulary before encountering these phrases in authentic texts, but this level of support is not systemic throughout the materials. Students engage in partner activities to build background knowledge and vocabulary. In "Word Collectors," Session 5 (Unit 4), materials discuss idiomatic phrases and explore the nuances of vocabulary through activities like creating a word thermometer for gradations of adjectives (e.g., scorching, hot, warm); however, embedded supports for unfamiliar vocabulary and references in texts are not found throughout the material and pre-teaching is not present. Anchor charts found in "Small Groups to Support Phonics", Session 46, are used as a support, providing definitions and examples for academic vocabulary, but this level of embedded support is not consistent throughout the material and pre-teaching is not present. Similarly, in Session 46 within the lessons on prefixes, the teaching point defines prefixes as word parts that change meaning, and an anchor chart provides descriptions and examples, sometimes complemented by related texts like the "Prefix Riddle Song,” but this level of embedded support is not consistent. While pre-teaching of vocabulary minimally occurs within "Teaching Points," and general embedded supports are present (like sidebar notes guiding teachers during collaborative sorting activities) found in "Big Words Take Big Resolve," Session 8 (Unit 2), consistent pre-teaching or embedded support for vocabulary directly within texts from the session lessons is not a uniform practice. Additionally, some extensions encourage students to use more academic vocabulary, for example, by thinking of "fancier ways to say common phrases." There are also suggestions for coordinating with "experts" (e.g., a nurse, custodian) to host visits where they use pre-planned vocabulary related to their jobs. However, these specific vocabulary and figurative language lessons are isolated and not consistently found throughout the curriculum. The curriculum integrates various approaches for vocabulary instruction and figurative language, though consistent pre-teaching or embedded support for vocabulary throughout lessons remains absent. An anchor chart supports students in identifying and interpreting idioms by outlining steps: tuning into the text, stopping when words do not make literal sense, rereading to infer meaning, and rereading with the new meaning in mind. Students apply this strategy to text, using partner discussion and teacher guidance to clarify meaning. However, these specific lessons on idioms appear infrequently. In other instances, the curriculum teaches vocabulary through teaching points, anchor charts, and examples. For a lesson on nonfiction text structures, it defines "summary" as "boxes and bullets" or "the important things in a text" and suggests teachers use hand movements to discuss main ideas and details. Anchor charts illustrate the application of "boxes and bullets" and "How Nonfiction Readers Think About the Main Idea." For prefixes, a teaching point explains prefixes as word parts that change meaning, with an anchor chart providing descriptions and examples, sometimes complemented by related texts like the "Prefix Riddle Song." Academic vocabulary, such as capitals, syllables, consonants, vowels, digraphs, silent e, blends, and r-controlled vowels, appears within anchor charts, discussion

Evaluation for 3.1c
Materials include teacher guidance for differentiated instruction, enrichment, and extension activities for students who have demonstrated proficiency in grade-level content and skills.

The curriculum provides optional extension activities at the end of nearly every lesson, designed to offer students repeated opportunities to reinforce and apply phonics skills. Although these activities are flexible and can be used throughout the day, such as during transitions, to keep phonics learning active and encourage skill transfer into reading and writing, they are intended for all students and not differentiated for students demonstrating grade-level proficiency. Extensions provide valuable practice for skill consolidation, but they are not specifically designed to differentiate instruction for students who have already demonstrated proficiency with the lesson content. They generally serve as additional support or practice for all students. For example, within "Word Builders," Session 7 (Unit 3), in a lesson on homophones, an extension requires all students to work in partners to use a pair of homophones in sentences as they line up for recess, regardless of their mastery level. Similarly, an extension for r-controlled vowels challenges all students to find r-controlled words in their own books and writing, not only those students demonstrating grade-level proficiency. Extension activities are provided throughout the curriculum, but they are not indicated as differentiation for students who have demonstrated proficiency; instead, they are for reinforcement for all students. A Guide to the Phonics Units of Study refers to the extension activities as "extensions you could do to give students further opportunities to solidify their understanding of that day's instruction."

Evaluation for 3.2a
Materials include explicit (direct) prompts and guidance to support the teacher in modeling and explaining the concept(s) to be learned.

In "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 11 (Unit 1), teachers receive scripted language for teaching, explaining, modeling, and providing feedback. For instance, a lesson in Session 11 on homophones includes a scripted teaching point: "Today I want to teach you that some words sound the same but mean different things and have different spellings. These words are called homophones. Second-graders watch out for homophones when they are reading, and when they spot one, they think, 'What meaning makes sense here?'" The scripted narrative then dictates teacher actions, such as, "I put up Post-its to illustrate the two words," and provides Possible Coaching Moves, like, "Read these sentences out loud and listen for the two words that sound the same," or, "Think about that whole sentence." Similar scripted guidance exists for r-controlled vowels found in Growing into Second Grade Phonics, Unit 1, Session 5, with a teaching point emphasizing watching out for tricky r-controlled vowels and enunciating sounds like ar, er, and or. Coaching moves include prompting students to "Listen to the sound. It is like 'car,' 'tiger,' or 'fork'?" and, "Use your finger to find the spelling patterns and check them." In "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 3 (Unit 1), for long vowel patterns, the teacher reads "Those Darn Squirrels" aloud, highlighting words with long vowel sounds like feeders, seeds, and food. The teacher explicitly explains that long vowel sounds can form in different ways through vowel teams or silent e patterns. The teacher models this concept by sorting example words into a pocket chart by spelling pattern, thinking aloud to demonstrate identification. Students then brainstorm additional words with vowel teams and apply their understanding by reading a poem and searching for long vowel patterns in connected text. "Big Words Take Big Resolve," Session 3 (Unit 2), utilizes relatable analogies to introduce concepts. For breaking multisyllabic words, a teacher describes how ants use mandibles to break large objects, using mandibles and antennae as model words and explaining their academic vocabulary in context. The teacher physically demonstrates this strategy by cutting words printed on cards. Following this modeling, students engage in guided practice with words like traffic, trumpet, napkin, cactus, and triplet, then apply the skill to additional word lists and authentic reading in a text like "Leafcutter Ants."

Evaluation for 3.2b
Materials include teacher guidance and recommendations for effective lesson delivery and facilitation using a variety of instructional approaches.

The curriculum provides comprehensive teacher guidance and recommendations for delivering effective phonics instruction through various instructional approaches. Each session consistently follows a predictable structure, including a Mini-Lesson, Teaching, Active Engagement/Link, Rug Time, Share, and Extensions, all offering opportunities for student discourse. For example, in "Big Words Take Big Resolve," Session 1 (Unit 2), the "In This Session" overview explains the teaching focus, detailing what the teacher will teach and what students will learn; for example, students will work with partners to use analogy to spell multisyllabic words and use the same strategy to write signs in Rug Clubs. At the session's end, students play a game building words on whiteboards. The curriculum supports teacher guidance for effective lesson delivery of collaborative and independent practice throughout. In "Word Builders," Session 7 (Unit 3), for the long a sound, instruction involves word analysis and comparison where students examine word pairs like crane and crain to determine correct spellings. Students then collaborate with partners on similar pairs, recording tricky words in a "Troublemaker Word Book." Storytelling reinforces vowel spellings; a teacher tells a humorous story about how confusing spellings, such as sail and sale, can change meaning. In "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Chapter 1, Session 11, students have many opportunities for collaborative learning and independent practice. During Rug Time, students engage in flexible grouping, sorting picture cards with r-controlled vowels or discussing homophone jokes. A lesson on homophones challenges students to discuss the humor in homophone jokes during Active Engagement and Extension activities. Students also use picture cards and Post-its to organize and write sentences differentiating homophone meanings and spellings. In Rug Clubs, students apply strategies like analogy to write signs. Extensions provide additional instructional approaches, such as practicing analogy through song. Students test their skills during Rug Time and extensions.

Evaluation for 3.2c
Materials support multiple types of practice (e.g., guided, independent, collaborative) and include guidance for teachers and recommended structures (e.g., whole group, small group, individual) to support effective implementation.

The curriculum effectively implements instruction through varied practices, clear teacher guidance, and structured grouping strategies. Each session follows a predictable structure, including a Mini-Lesson, Teaching, Active Engagement/Link, Rug Time, Share, and Extensions, all of which offer opportunities for various types of practice. In "Big Words Take Big Resolve," Session 8 (Unit 2), teachers provide explicit guidance and recommendations for delivering effective lessons. For example, a teacher explains the hard and soft sounds of c and g using a mimic octopus analogy. They model decoding words like cider and common by trying both hard and soft sounds. Students then engage in guided practice with example words, followed by collaborative partner work where they sort words into categories and discover patterns related to e, i, or y. The teacher reinforces the rule with a song and provides exceptions, and students practice reading tongue twisters. In "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 5 (Unit 1), for r-controlled vowels, a teacher engages students with a humorous callback about how adding an r changes vowel sounds. They lead a whole-group picture card sort (e.g., star, flower, thorn) and model categorizing words based on their r-controlled vowel sound. Students then work in pairs to continue sorting words. The teacher introduces a class song featuring r-controlled vowels and presents a more complex alphabet chart with advanced words, encouraging students to collaborate and identify r-controlled vowels in new contexts. In "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 2 (Unit 1), the materials consistently offer opportunities for student practice. During Active Engagement, students engage in guided practice, as seen in a silent e lesson where they determine if vowels are long or short and discuss other features, using hand signals to indicate sounds found. Rug Time provides a structured component for small group collaboration, with students working with Say and Spell cards and whiteboards to write words with long and short vowels, including blends and digraphs. This Rug Time or Rug Club allows for semi-independent work before a brief share session concludes the phonics lesson.

Evaluation for 3.3a
Materials include teacher 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.

A Guide to Phonics Unit of Study, Chapter 2, offers general teacher guidance on supporting emergent bilingual students in phonics development, emphasizing that phonics should not be an isolated activity. This guidance suggests fostering a language-rich classroom through structured and unstructured conversations, interactive read-alouds, play-based learning, and shared writing to support emergent and early-stage bilingual students, including those in the silent period. For students with higher language proficiency, the materials recommend building academic vocabulary through writing-based word exploration and integrating phonics into meaningful, content-connected contexts. Additional supports include using visuals, gestures, and explicit phonological awareness instruction. Specifics on incorporating the ELPS or specifics for providing linguistic accommodations are not mentioned in this guidance or in the curriculum lessons. In the section "Supporting English Language Learners in Phonics" in A Guide to the Phonics Units of Study, the materials also suggest creating triads, pairing an emergent bilingual student with two English-proficient peers, to support linguistically diverse interactions. An alphabet chart with Spanish words as anchors for letter sounds is available in the online materials. Despite this level of teacher guidance on providing linguistic accommodations for various levels of language proficiency, there is no specific reference or alignment to the ELPS. In A Guide to Phonics Unit of Study, the material discusses the importance of promoting a language-rich classroom culture and includes overarching ideals for supporting English learners, such as building English vocabulary around writing, embedding phonics into writing workshop, conducting interactive writing, focusing on phonological awareness, and celebrating approximation over mastery. Chapter 1 in the Guide to the Phonics Units of Study provides guidance on anticipating, observing, and supporting phonics development for English learners and students with dyslexia, noting that errors indicate complex acquisition processes, not deficiencies. It also advises celebrating approximation rather than demanding mastery; however, there is no reference to alignment to the ELPS.

Evaluation for 3.3b
Materials include implementation guidance to support teachers in effectively using the materials in state-approved bilingual/ESL programs.

A Guide to the Phonics Units of Study features one-size-fits-all accommodations. For example, the generic guidance suggests, "To make it truly powerful for English learners, you will want to tuck in some quick and easy vocabulary instruction . . . A simple and quick way to do this is to do an internet search for images of words you will be using and have these ready to display." Though this guidance is helpful, the materials do not include the systematic use of scaffolds needed within the daily lessons. This general guidance is provided in a program's guide document and not embedded in the materials that teachers need for daily instruction. There are no documents that include the step-by-step process, tools, timelines, and roles needed to effectively carry out the curriculum effectively in bilingual or ESL programs. According to the A Guide to the Phonics Units of Study, "This phonics curriculum provides many examples of (play, song, and talk), and you and your students will surely integrate your own favorites into the culture of your classroom as well." The curriculum provides general guidance for supporting emergent bilingual students in phonics development, emphasizing the importance of a language-rich classroom culture where phonics is not an isolated activity. This guidance found in the section Supporting English Language Learners in Phonics and Chapter 2 titled "Anticipate, Observe, and Support Phonics Development (including English Learners and Students with Dyslexia)," both in A Guide to the Phonics Units of Study, suggests promoting English vocabulary building through writing, embedding phonics instruction into writing workshops, conducting interactive writing, focusing on phonological awareness, and celebrating approximations in language acquisition. Online materials also offer anchor charts translated into Spanish. However, the materials do not include implementation guidance to support teachers in effectively using the materials in state-approved bilingual/ESL programs. Lessons in "Word Collectors," Session 1 (Unit 4), including those in the Getting Ready sidebars and "Using More Academic Vocabulary as You Teach" extensions, do not provide explicit implementation guidance for state-approved bilingual or ESL programs. Similarly, in "Small Groups to Support Phonics," Small Group 1, the sections "Best Taught To" and Possible Coaching Moves in small group sessions do not offer specific direction for bilingual or multilingual students' unique needs or how to integrate with established bilingual/ESL program frameworks. The materials do not consistently outline how to support bilingual or ESL programs.

Evaluation for 3.3c
Materials include embedded guidance for teachers to support emergent bilingual students in developing academic vocabulary, increasing comprehension, building background knowledge, and making cross-linguistic connections through oral and written discourse.

Although there are opportunities for all students to increase comprehension through oral discourse, build background knowledge through oral discourse, increase comprehension through written discourse, and build background knowledge through written discourse, these opportunities do not provide teachers with embedded guidance on how to use the activities specifically with emergent bilingual students. The curriculum provides general recommendations for supporting emergent bilingual students, largely focusing on creating a language-rich classroom where phonics is not an isolated activity. It suggests promoting language acquisition through talk and play, interactive read-alouds, interactive writing, and structured and unstructured conversations. The materials also advise embedding phonics instruction into writing workshops and bringing writing into phonics time. A Guide to the Phonics Units of Study, Chapter 2, offers guidance on anticipating, observing, and supporting phonics development for both emergent bilingual students and students with dyslexia. However, the curriculum does not offer specific, embedded linguistic support within its lessons and tasks for emergent bilingual students. Opportunities for developing academic vocabulary, increasing comprehension, building background knowledge, or making cross-linguistic connections through oral or written discourse lack explicit guidance for teachers on how to structure and scaffold these interactions for varying proficiency levels. While students engage in activities like labeling, journaling, or word collection in the section Supporting English Language Learners, in A Guide to the Phonics Units of Study, the materials do not provide scaffolds such as word banks, sentence frames, or guided written responses to help emergent bilingual students apply academic vocabulary or process text through writing. The curriculum also does not include prompts or guidance for teachers to leverage students' home languages or make explicit comparisons between English and other languages during oral or written interactions. For example, in "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 11 (Unit 1), a lesson on homophones, which relies on English-specific linguistic nuances and background knowledge, does not provide pre-teaching or cognate support for emergent bilingual students. Components like Getting Ready sidebar notes, "Using More Academic Vocabulary as You Teach" extensions, "Best Taught To" notes, and Possible Coaching Moves in small group sessions do not include specific implementation guidance to effectively support emergent bilingual students.

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

This guidance is not applicable because the program is not designed for dual language immersion (DLI) programs.

Evaluation for 4.1a
Materials include systematic and sequenced instruction of phonics (sound-symbol correspondence) skills.

A Guide to Phonics Units of Study (Units 1–4) provides systematic and sequenced phonics instruction across four units, with skills progressing in difficulty. The sequence generally moves from consonant blends and digraphs to trigraphs, long vowel patterns, diphthongs, r-controlled vowels, inflectional endings, and vocabulary. A Guide to Phonics Units of Study, Unit 1 begins with a review of vowel-consonant-e (VCe) syllables in Session 2, "Revisiting Silent E," and introduces vowel team syllables in Session 3, "Learning Long Vowels and Vowel Teams from Reading Literature," also covering r-controlled vowels in Session 5. Unit 2 introduces strategies for multisyllabic words, including identifying closed syllables in Session 4, "When Double Consonants Signal a Short Vowel Sound," and the consonant-le syllable in Session 5, "Breaking Up Challenging Words with Consonant-le." Other Unit 2 lessons address breaking words between two consonants in the middle and doubling consonants before adding endings. In Unit 3, long vowel patterns in multisyllabic words are reviewed, and the schwa sound is introduced in Session 19, "Trying Schwa, the Frustrated Sound, to Solve Tricky Words." Unit 3 also includes lessons on adding inflected endings to words with long vowels and understanding the word part -ture. Unit 4 lessons provide instruction in compound words and words with prefixes and suffixes, such as "Learning Compound Words—and the Words that Constitute Them" and "Investigating How Suffixes Affect the Meaning of Words."

Evaluation for 4.1b
Materials include explicit (direct) and intentional ongoing practice opportunities for phonics (sound-symbol correspondence) skills, both in isolation and through decodable texts.

Lessons within the A Guide to Phonics Units of Study include explicit and intentional, ongoing practice opportunities for phonics skills in isolation. For example, "Growing Into Second Grade Phonics," Session 5, begins with phonological awareness activities, such as distinguishing sounds like -er, -or, and -ar in spoken words. This transitions into phonics instruction, where students identify specific sound patterns (e.g., r-controlled vowels), followed by word-solving to apply these patterns in reading, and spelling exercises that involve editing writing for phonics errors. For example, "The Rascal R Song," a partially predictable text, helps students practice reading r-controlled vowels. However, the materials do not include explicit (direct) practice opportunities for phonics (sound-symbol correspondence) skills through decodable texts. Individual phonics skills receive explicit practice in isolation through focused activities. One example is "Small Groups to Support Phonics" (Chapter 1), "First-Grade Review: VCe, Long-Vowel Teams, R-Controlled Vowels, and Word Parts," which utilizes small group sessions to reinforce unit goals. A Mini-Lesson demonstrates this with the book, "Those Darn Squirrels," where students sort VCe and vowel team words like time, inside, feeders, seeds, and food from the text. Students then extend this by finding similar words in poems such as "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" and "Waiting Room Fish," both of which are partially decodable. An extension lesson provides a vowel team chart for students to review and add words.

Evaluation for 4.2a
Daily lessons include explicit (direct) phonics instruction with teacher modeling.

Each lesson, for example, "Word Builders," Session 9 (Unit 3) begins with a Connection that leads to a "Teaching Point." For instance, in a lesson on long a spellings, the hook involves a struggling mascot, leading to the teaching point of listening for the long vowel's position to determine spelling. The teacher reviews a-e, ai, ay, and single a spellings, highlighting that ay is used in the final position, and suggesting a for long a at the end of a syllable, along with recognizing patterns like ain and ake. The teacher models by saying, “So let us review the different ways long 'a' can be spelled.” Lessons also contain an "example" component before students practice in Active Engagement. For example, in "Exploring Homophones," a lesson on homophones found in "Growing Into Second-Grade Phonics," Session 11, the teaching point emphasizes that these "words sound alike but have different meanings and spellings, urging students to consider context. Bored and board are used as examples, followed by a homophone joke handout for student practice. Similarly, in a lesson on building words with the long e sound, the teaching point focuses on using knowledge of spelling the long e in small words to spell larger ones. The teacher models with eat to heater to cheater, and students then practice with words like Pete, athlete, and concrete. Units 1, 2, 3, and 4 structure sessions with consistent components: Getting Ready, Phonics Instruction, In This Session, Minilesson/Connection, Teaching, Active Engagement/Link, Rug Time, Coaching Moves, Share, and Extensions, all providing phonics practice. These units also include Possible Coaching Moves and insets with teacher directions and guidance. The lessons are designed for teachers to explicitly model sound-symbol correspondence, demonstrating how to blend, segment, and decode words.

Evaluation for 4.2b
Daily lessons include opportunities for explicit (direct) guided instruction with guidance for immediate and corrective feedback.

Each Session within A Guide to Phonics Units of Study (Units 1–4) begins with Getting Ready, followed by Phonics Instruction, In This Session, Minilesson/Connection, Teaching, Active Engagement/Link, Rug Time, Coaching Moves, Share, and Extensions. These sections are designed to provide consistent phonics practice. Teachers are supported with Possible Coaching Moves and insets containing directions and guidance. Opportunities for immediate and corrective feedback are integrated into the Possible Coaching Moves sidebar found in "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 6 (Unit 1). Also in this unit during a lesson on r-controlled vowels, teachers are prompted to remind students to circle the r-controlled vowel, try different spelling patterns, recall that "er" is more common, and use positional spelling cues (e.g., er often at the end, ir and ur typically in the middle). Explicit instruction is also provided for reading multisyllabic words by breaking them between two consonants. The Possible Coaching Moves offer suggested feedback, including reminding students to read part by part from the beginning, use middle consonants to break words, remember to break off suffixes, try alternative vowel sounds, and consider word meaning. The Active Engagement component facilitates guided instruction. In "Big Words Take Big Resolve," Session 8, on hard and soft c and g, students sort word cards, with teachers circulating to provide support and guiding them to discover patterns within the words during Rug Time (clubs). Teachers are prompted to confirm sound relationships or offer direct suggestions if students struggle. Similarly, for inflected endings, students work with a partner to add -ed and -ing to root words. Teachers circulate, reminding students to drop the silent e before adding endings. During Rug Time, students edit texts with misspelled words where the silent e rule was neglected, with guidance for teachers to reinforce the rule and continue circulating.

Evaluation for 4.2c
Daily lessons include a variety of opportunities for students to practice phonics skills through collaborative learning and independent practice.

Each lesson provides opportunities for students to practice phonics skills through collaboration, as described in A Guide to the Phonics Units of Study, Chapter 3, Nuts and Bolts, provides specific information on how each lesson is structured. Each lesson contains seven parts: mini-lesson, connection, teaching, active engagement/link, Rug Time, share, and extension activities. During the mini-lesson, the teacher demonstrates, and then the students work, on the same skill. During the active engagement, activities are offered that provide students time to work with partners. Rug time also provides an opportunity for students to work in partnerships or small groups. Independent practice time is not explicitly provided for in the instructions. Collaborative learning is often structured around Rug Time Clubs, where students build rapport, encourage teamwork, and engage in activities such as reading sentences containing specific prefixes like re- or in- and then exchanging with other clubs found in "Big Words Take Big Resolve," Session 13. An additional collaborative activity in the Share part of the lesson involves students working together to create a scrapbook page about a learned prefix. Additional collaborative activities include sorting words according to their r-controlled sounds (ar, or, er) and playing games like the Toolbooth Game. In Lesson Extension 1, titled "Play 'Guess My Rule' to Spotlight Different Spellings and Introduce a New Vowel Chart," strategies are provided to help solidify understanding through collaborative learning. Independent practice opportunities exist, though they are not consistently found in every lesson. For example, in some lessons, students hunt for r-controlled vowels in independent books and writing. In lessons where students learn to change y to i before adding -es or -ed, they may write words on whiteboards during Active Engagement, such as in "Big Words Take Big Resolve," Session 16. However, this type of independent practice is sporadically delivered and not a consistent component across all lessons and units.

Evaluation for 4.3a
Materials include intentional cumulative phonics review and practice activities throughout the curriculum.

The curriculum ensures continuous phonics instruction throughout Units 1, 2, 3, and 4, maintaining a predictable daily structure that includes a mini-lesson, Rug Time, share, and extensions, all of which are intentional practice activities. This consistent framework allows for varied content and teaching methods while reinforcing previously learned skills and building upon them with increased complexity. However, materials do not include intentional cumulative phonics review throughout the curriculum. Small group sessions, found in "Small Groups to Support Phonics, An Orientation to Small Groups," are included to reinforce challenging concepts and allow practice, though some of these review lessons also introduce new phonics skills. While lessons like "Investigating Soft C and G in Mystery Words" and "Solving Words with Vowel Teams" serve as review, new concepts such as "K vs ck at the Ends of Words" and "Reading R-Controlled Phonograms: -ore, -air, -are, -ear, -eer" are also introduced within these review contexts. The materials do not include an intentional cumulative review.

Evaluation for 4.3b
Practice opportunities include only phonics skills that have been explicitly taught.

The curriculum's four units consistently provide phonics instruction with a predictable daily structure that includes a mini-lesson, Rug Time, share, and extensions. However, the materials frequently include words and phonics patterns in practice activities and texts that have not yet been explicitly taught. For instance, poems within a lesson or unit contain words like orange, darkest, horse, watch, dance, defeat, and stopped, which feature phonics patterns that have not been introduced at that point. Similarly, lessons expect students to apply skills that have not been taught, such as a practice activity requiring students to create new words from their names and classmates' names, assuming prior explicit instruction of all phonics patterns within those names. "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 3, provides texts like a Trigraph Tongue Twister, in which long vowels and vowel teams lessons include words such as surprising and sparkle, which involve phonics skills like decoding multisyllabic words and stable final syllables that are addressed in later lessons and units. This means that practice opportunities do not consistently include only phonics skills that have been explicitly taught. For example, a phonics unit on short vowels requires children to distinguish one short vowel from another while also identifying a vowel in every syllable of every word, even if the latter concept has not been fully covered. In Session 3, students are taught to read a page while looking for silent e and other long vowels, even if these patterns have not been fully explored.

Evaluation for 4.3c
Decodable texts incorporate cumulative practice of taught phonics skills.

The materials do not include cumulative practice opportunities for phonics skills through decodable texts. For example, "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Unit 1 provides poems and songs in lessons that contain words like orange, watch, village, farmhouse, friends, and silver," which include phonics patterns that students have not yet learned to decode. Similarly, in "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 3 (Unit 2), the Trigraph Tongue Twister, long vowels and the vowel teams lesson feature words such as surprising and sparkle, which rely on skills like decoding multisyllabic words and stable final syllables that are covered in later units. A homophone joke text, used in a lesson on homophones, could include words like grizzlies and one-eyed, whose decoding rules (e.g., dropping y and adding -ies, or adding -ed to words) are addressed later in the materials. The decodable texts do not consistently align closely with the phonics skills explicitly taught in the instructional sequence, meaning students often encounter sound-symbol correspondences they have not yet mastered. This lack of alignment prevents the texts from effectively supporting cumulative review and reinforcement of previously taught phonics patterns.

Evaluation for 4.3d
Lessons include an instructional focus with opportunities for practice in isolation and decodable, connected text.

The materials include opportunities for practice in isolation. For example, in "Big Words Take Big Resolve", Session 13 (Unit 2), students engage in isolated spelling practice by writing words on whiteboards, such as adding -ed and -ing to words like wave, survive, zoom, use, and cuddle. Similarly, students practice writing long a words with different spellings on whiteboards, looking for patterns in words like mistake, make, wake, milkshake, and pancake. In another example, during a lesson on r-controlled vowels, students sort word cards into their corresponding r-controlled spelling patterns, using words such as scarf, yard, warm, carpet, shark, storm, world, cord, sports, tornado, hammer, doctor, river, dryer, boxer, tower, and otter. The absence of opportunities for students to read connected, decodable texts that are fully aligned with the phonics skills taught in isolation is noted throughout the materials. While some decodable texts may be included, they often contain phonics skills not yet addressed, such as in "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 11 (Unit 1), intertwining intentional practice with untaught concepts. For example, a homophone joke text includes examples of homophones (sea, bear, sundae, eye, knight, beet) and words requiring decoding skills (grizzlies, one-eyed) that are introduced later in the unit or year, without always providing their corresponding homophones (see, bare, Sunday, I, night, beat). This means the lessons do not integrate decodable texts that align closely with the phonics skills explicitly taught, limiting students' chances to practice decoding within meaningful, connected reading experiences.

Evaluation for 4.4a
Materials include a variety of assessment tools that are developmentally appropriate.

The provided Developmental Spelling Assessments are developmentally appropriate, assessing features that increase in complexity throughout the year. Assessment 1 tests students on their spelling of VCe, r-controlled, and vowel teams. Assessment 2 covers inflectional endings, open syllables, silent consonants, and soft c and g. Beyond these, there are no other types of assessment tools. The online materials contain the same assessments as the book but do not offer additional assessment materials. The curriculum includes Developmental Spelling Assessment Version 1, which covers CVCe words, endings, blends/digraphs, CVVC, diphthongs, and r-controlled vowels. This assessment is intended for Unit 1 ("Help Gus Write a Picture Book: The Tall Slide"). Developmental Spelling Assessment Version 2 for Grade 2 includes complex consonants, r-controlled phonograms, CVVC vowel teams, diphthongs, open and final syllables, and inflectional endings. This second assessment, "Help Gus Write a Picture Book: The Butterfly Exhibit," is designed to be administered after Unit 3 and at the end of the year. The materials include one developmentally appropriate assessment tool. For example, A Guide to Phonics Unit of Study (Chapter 5) states, "Each assessment focuses on a different aspect of phonics development and will help you determine whether the child is making progress and is roughly on track for the grade and time of year." However, the materials lack a variety of such tools. The two provided assessments, “Assessing Developmental Spelling" and "Assessment Version 2," both focus primarily on spelling and do not address other areas of phonics development.

Evaluation for 4.4b
Materials include progress monitoring tools that systematically and accurately measure students' acquisition of grade-level phonics skills.

The curriculum includes two Developmental Spelling Assessments, "Help Gus Write a Picture Book: The Tall Slide" and "Help Gus Write a Picture Book: The Butterfly Exhibit." Teachers are instructed to use the first assessment during Unit 1 and the second after Units 2 and 3. The materials, both print and online, do not include opportunities for systematic observations of students' everyday activities and interactions to track progress or assess phonics skill development. The materials offer guidance on when to use these two Developmental Spelling Assessments (during Unit 1, after Unit 3, and at the end of the year), and suggest assessing "troublemaker words" for students who are not keeping pace with learning them. A section titled "Using Reading Assessments, Including Running Records, to Gain Insights on Children's Phonics Development" acknowledges that while not exhaustive of all reading assessments, running records can aid teachers in understanding students' phonics development. A Guide to the Phonics Unit of Study provides grade-level assessments within its "Assessment Tools" for units, including a recommended assessment schedule; however, the assessment schedule is not frequent enough to align with the intent of progress monitoring aligned to a phonics progression throughout second grade. Within A Guide to the Phonics Unit of Study (Chapter 5), the materials suggest administering the assessments "towards the end" of each phonics unit, which suggests the available assessments are more summative in nature. The availability of only two Developmental Spelling Assessments, "Help Gus Write a Picture Book: The Tall Side" and "The Butterfly Exhibit," does not provide sufficient feedback to the teacher on the acquisition of grade-level phonics skills, which impacts the validity of an accurate and systematic progress-monitoring tool.

Evaluation for 4.4c
Materials include assessment opportunities across the span of the school year aligned to progress monitoring tools.

The curriculum contains two Developmental Spelling Assessments for Grade 2: "Help Gus Write a Picture Book: The Tall Slide" and "Help Gus Write a Picture Book: The Butterfly Exhibit." Teachers are instructed to use the first assessment during Unit 1 and the second after Units 2 and 3, and at the end of the year. However, neither the print nor online materials include more frequent checks for mastery. The materials suggest assessing "troublemaker words" for children who are not keeping pace with learning them. This can be done by checking their Word Books periodically, which contain words students cross off once they can spell them accurately and quickly. Additionally, the materials include guidance on "Using Reading Assessments, Including Running Records, to Gain Insights on Children's Phonics Development." A Guide to the Phonics Unit of Study provides grade-level assessments within its "Assessment Tools" for units, and Chapter 5 further details using reading assessments, including running records, to gain insights into children's phonics development. However, the materials do not include assessment opportunities across the school year that are aligned to clear progress-monitoring tools, nor do they provide a defined schedule of assessments aligned to such tools. For example, while Developmental Spelling Assessments are included, they are not presented as part of a clear progress-monitoring system.

Evaluation for 4.5a
Materials include data-management tools for tracking individual student progress to make appropriate instructional decisions to accelerate instruction.

The curriculum provides paper and pencil assessments with recording forms for each assessment, which can be considered data-management tools. For example, the Letter Identification Assessment chart is located in the appendix of A Guide to the Phonics Unit of Study. The primary data assessment tool provided is the Second-Grade Assessing Developmental Spelling Scoring Sheet, titled "Help Gus Write a Picture Book." This is located in the appendix of A Guide to the Phonics Unit of Study, which is designed for a summative assessment. The materials also highlight that using running records can be a valuable source of information for understanding students' phonics development. A Guide to the Phonics Unit of Study indicates that the use of running records and a corresponding log will assist teachers in understanding their students' development of phonics. However, the materials lack the resources to develop that understanding. The materials include developmental assessment tools and developmental assessment scoring sheets as their data-management tools. These tools are intended to track individual student progress, facilitate appropriate instructional decisions, and accelerate instruction.

Evaluation for 4.5b
Materials include data-management tools for tracking whole-class student progress to analyze patterns and needs of students.

The curriculum provides paper and pencil assessments with recording forms for each assessment, but it lacks integrated data-tracking tools. This absence of data-tracking tools extends to the online materials, which also offer paper and pencil assessments with recording forms. The primary data assessment tool is the Developmental Spelling Assessment Scoring Sheet, designed for a single assessment. The materials also highlight that using running records can be a valuable source of information for understanding students' phonics development. The materials, however, do not include data-management tools for tracking whole-class student progress to analyze patterns or students' needs. The materials within A Guide to the Phonics Units of Study, K–2, include data-management tools (digital and/or hard copy) for tracking individual student data but not whole-class progress. For example, in the Appendix: Assessment Tools, blackline masters of the assessments are available with space for one student's name and date at the top to be written in.

Evaluation for 4.5c
Materials include specific guidance on determining frequency of progress monitoring based on students' strengths and needs.

A Guide to the Phonics Units of Study, K–2, provides general guidance on instructional practices to implement in support of students' phonics-blending needs. There is no specific guidance on when or how often to re-administer the assessment as a progress-monitoring tool. For example, the recommended assessment chart instructs teachers to use previous assessment tools as needed. Further, the assessment recommendation chart instructs teachers to give the snap words assessment to children not showing proficiency; there is no specific recommendation for systematic progress-monitoring. The curriculum provides two developmental spelling inventories with individual student recording forms. However, neither the print nor online materials offer tools to help teachers determine the frequency of progress monitoring based on students' strengths or needs. The materials do not include specific guidance on determining the frequency of progress-monitoring based on students' strengths or needs. While the assessments enable teachers to respond to indications that extra teaching or further assessments are needed, they do not prescribe monitoring frequency based on individual student profiles.

Evaluation for 4.5d
Materials include guidance on how to accelerate learning based on the progress monitoring data to reach mastery of specific concepts.

In the Appendix, “Assessment Tools,” of the Guide to the Phonics Unit of Study, the materials include two developmental spelling inventories with individual student recording forms, but there is no guidance on how to track progress to accelerate learning. In the Appendix, “Assessment Tools,” of the Guide to the Phonics Unit of Study, the materials include information within the Developmental Spelling Assessments which state, "you will be able to see at a glance which phonics features your students struggle with, using this information to understand which concepts to reinforce for your whole class, for small groups, and for individual students." The materials include a section that informs teachers that during running records, if a child makes an error, the teacher should be able to see that and teach in areas of weakness. The materials include guidance on how to accelerate learning, but it is not based on the progress-monitoring data to reach mastery of specific concepts.

Evaluation for 5.B.1a
Materials include explicit (direct) and systematic instructional guidance on developing oral language and oracy through a variety of methods (e.g., modeling, guided practice, coaching, feedback, and independent practice). (T)

The materials include explicit and systematic guidance for teachers to model language and "think aloud" their thought processes, providing students with opportunities to hear and practice oral language with teachers and partners. For example, "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 7 (Unit 1), during the Connection and Teaching components of a decoding and spelling lesson, a teacher models strategies for solving challenging words by thinking aloud, "You're right. We should not give up. We can solve the toughest, longest words. We just need to remember what we learned from helping Gus tie his shoes. We need to face the challenge step by step." In a "Celebration" lesson also in Session 7, a teacher models thinking aloud about how to teach, suggesting, "I can teach you a little bit about how to teach. That way, you can all be great tutors for Gus." The Coaching Moves section in the materials provides explicit instructional guidance on developing oral language by prompting the teacher to say "after you name something, talk about it some more," or "do not just name the phonics features you see, try to use the phonics features to make more words." In "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 11 (Unit 1), students work in clubs to plan a phonics lesson for a character named Gus, with directions for student roles, teaching gestures, and providing examples. The curriculum also prompts teachers to further develop oral language modeling. For example, the teacher models how to "channel children to explain the joke that they will finally now understand to Gus" by asking, "Will you and your partner work together to read these jokes and figure out why they are funny?" Teachers coach students to provide feedback like, "This joke is funny because . . . " In "Big Words Take Big Resolve," Session 1 (Unit 2), during Rug Time and Share components, students engage in discussions to build oral language skills through explicit and systematic instruction. In the decoding and spelling portion, students offer partners suggestions for solving tough words, and teachers encourage them to "think of strategies you can suggest." During the Share component, students explain the strategies they used. During the Connection and Teaching components, the materials include scripted "think aloud" modeling of strategies related to the content. For instance, a teacher models a problem-solving mindset by saying, "'You're right. We should not give up. We can solve the toughest, longest words. We just need to remember what we learned from helping Gus tie his shoes. We need to face the challenge step by step.'" In a "Celebration" lesson within this same session, scripted language guides the teacher to model a "think aloud" during the Connection, "Teaching," and Active Engagement components, such as, "'I know! I can teach you a little bit about how to teach. That way you can all be great tutors for Gus.'" During Rug Time, students work with clubs to plan a phonics lesson, with directions on student roles, teaching gestures, and providing examples. While opportunities exist for students to engage in discussions and hear modeled language, the materials do not consistently provide explicit or systematic instructional guidance for developing oracy through a variety of methods. In "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 1 (Unit 1), "Coaching" moves such as "after you name something, talk about it some more," or "do not just name the phonics features you see, try to use the phonics features to make more words," often remain vague and do not offer explicit and systematic instructional support for developing comprehensive oracy skills.

Evaluation for 5.B.1b
Materials include opportunities for students to engage in social and academic communication for different purposes and audiences. (S)

"Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 4 (Unit 1), includes structured social communication for different purposes and audiences. For instance, during the Teaching component of a session, a teacher initiates student conversations about "snap words," encouraging Rug Clubs to recollect what they learned. Students then share a list of related things they want to remember with students and teachers. In "Word Builders," Session 10 (Unit 3), students engage in academic discussions during Rug Time, where they sort words based on long e spellings, observe patterns, and generate tips for remembering those patterns (e.g., "long e is often spelled with a 'y' at the end of multisyllabic words"). They also engage in academic conversations when breaking compound words into base words and combining them to create new ones, which supports analyzing word structure and applying word knowledge. The Share section allows students to communicate their learning with a different audience during whole-group discussions. Students explain strategies used to solve tough words or discuss how they would share everything they know about reading challenging words. Students also give partners "Snap Word Quizzes," talking about spelling like "Professors of Phonics," by explaining, for instance, that in the word each, the vowel team ea makes the long e sound.

Evaluation for 5.B.1c
Materials include authentic opportunities for students to listen actively, ask questions, engage in discussion to understand information, and share information and ideas. (S)

The materials include authentic opportunities to engage in discussion to understand information and share information. In "Big Words Take Big Resolve," Session 1 (Unit 2), students offer partners suggestions for solving tough words, and they explain the strategies they used. Teachers use scripted "think aloud" modeling to demonstrate strategies related to content, for example, discussing perseverance in solving challenging words. During the Connection and Teaching components of this session, students practice how they would share everything they know about reading long, challenging words, suggesting they provide their audience with examples. The materials include authentic opportunities to listen actively, engage in discussion to understand information, and share information and ideas. In "Big Words Take Big Resolve," Session 1 (Unit 2), students examine the use of capital letters by comparing letters written by a kindergartener and a principal. This comparison prompts active listening, meaningful discussion, and sharing of observations and ideas. Also within Session 1, on silent consonants, a teacher connects the concept to camouflaged animals, explaining how certain consonants are "hidden." Students listen to the explanation, engage with familiar words, and then work with a partner to sort words with these patterns, providing opportunities for discussion and sharing. During Rug Time, students work with partners or Rug Clubs on phonics tasks, such as collecting words on whiteboards. They also practice writing words ending in -ge, where one partner reads a sentence and the other writes it, then they check it together. However, the materials do not provide instruction to prompt students to ask questions to understand information. While the materials offer discussion prompts for teachers (e.g., Possible Coaching Moves) and encourage peer questioning and responses during Rug Club Time and Share components evident in A Guide to the Phonics Unit of Study, Chapter 3, these prompts do not guide students in formulating their own questions to comprehend new information.

Evaluation for 5.C.1a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing letter names and their corresponding sounds. (PR 2.A.1)

The guidance is not applicable to the product.

Evaluation for 5.C.1b
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction for teaching and developing student automaticity in the identification of the 26 letters of the alphabet (upper and lowercase) and their corresponding sounds. (PR 2.A.1) (T)

The guidance is not applicable to the product.

Evaluation for 5.C.1c
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) and systematic instruction for letter formation for the 26 letters of the alphabet (upper and lowercase). (PR 2.A & 2.A.3) (T)

The guidance is not applicable to the product.

Evaluation for 5.C.1d
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources (including the use of memory-building strategies) for students to develop, practice, and reinforce (through cumulative review) alphabet knowledge both in isolation and in the context of meaningful print. (PR 2.A & 2.A.3) (S).

The guidance is not applicable to the product.

Evaluation for 5.C.2a
Materials explicitly (directl), and systematically introduce letter-sound relationships in an order that allows for application to basic decoding and encoding. (PR 2.A.1)

The materials systematically teach short vowels before introducing long vowels. The lessons provide explicit instruction on decoding short vowel CVC words using previously taught letters and sounds. Students practice blending sounds to read words and segmenting sounds to spell words, applying their phonics knowledge in basic decoding and encoding before progressing to more complex skills. In "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 2 (Unit 1), materials guide teachers to review short vowel sounds and the CVCe pattern, utilizing a vowel chart with keywords to help students recall both short and long vowel sounds. The materials provide explicit instruction on decoding short vowel words using previously taught letters and sounds. It teaches the silent e rule, with the teacher modeling decoding a word like Nate through a scripted explanation. Students then receive guided practice with words like Mike and engage in pair practice for both decoding and encoding on Say and Spell cards in Rug Time clubs. Students practice blending sounds to read words and segmenting sounds to spell words, applying their phonics knowledge. For long and short vowels, students learn to say a word, identify whether the vowel is long or short, and spell it differently based on their answer; the teacher prompts them to signal the vowel sound. Session 2 also includes identifying and using letters representing the long a sound along with common phonogram patterns. During Rug Time, the teacher reviews long a spelling tips, encouraging students to listen for the long a in a word as a clue for correct spelling and to test these tips through a spelling game. In "Big Words Take Big Resolve," Session 1 (Unit 2), the materials also introduce the soft sounds of c and . The teacher reminds students that soft c and g typically appear before e, i, or y, illustrating the concept with nonfiction text containing words like camouflage, chance, distance, and silence. Students apply this knowledge by reading the text with a partner and identifying additional soft c and g words, which supports basic decoding. In an extension activity, students encode words with soft c and g on whiteboards, providing structured practice in basic encoding.

Evaluation for 5.C.2b
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction focused on connecting phonemes to letters within words with recommended explanatory feedback for students based on common errors and misconceptions. (PR 2.A & 2.A.2) (T)

The materials provide teacher guidance for explicit instruction that connects phonemes to letters within words and includes recommended explanatory feedback based on common student errors and misconceptions. "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 6 ( Unit 1), teaches the er sound. Possible Coaching Moves offers feedback such as, "If you get stuck, remember that it is way more common to spell that sound with an 'er' or an 'ir' than with an 'ar'. Try 'er' or 'ir' first and see if it looks right." When spelling "troublemaker words," guidance includes examples like "Sometimes kids spell 'girl' like G-R-I-L because the R-controlled vowel part is tricky. You know that you cannot spell it G-R-I-L because grill is a place where you cook hamburgers. The 'i' has to come before the 'r' to make it 'girl.'" Another tip for "where" suggests, "Think that 'where' sounds like 'there.' And both words have 'here' in them. This saying can help: here, there, and everywhere." "Word Builders," Session 2 (Unit 3), provides guidance for specific learning challenges. To support students who struggle with vowel flexing, a teacher might have them cut off the silent e from words on cards, read the word with a short vowel, then replace the e to read it with a long vowel. During the Rug Time component, to provide access to students needing more support, a teacher might channel them to record simpler words, labeling monosyllabic or simpler two-syllable words with concrete sounds, such as rug, desk, closet, rug spots, and baskets. Additionally, the materials address the silent e rule, prompting teachers to ask about exceptions and reminding them that the silent Ie does not always make a vowel long. Insets on the right side of pages offer guidance, such as having a few words ready to share if students do not discover other consonant combinations on their own, like honeycomb or walking. In "Word Builders," Session 14 (Unit 3), students encode words with the long u sound. The materials offer coaching moves that clarify phoneme-grapheme relationships. For example, prompts such as "The 'u' sound is spelled with just the letter 'u'. Check and see if it matches our tip. Can you hear the long u at the end of the syllable?" can address potential errors in vowel identification or syllable position. Questions such as "Where do you see the 'ue'? Is it at the end of a word?" target common misconceptions about vowel team placement. These prompts guide the teacher in providing direct, corrective feedback tied to specific misunderstandings.

Evaluation for 5.C.2c
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce (through cumulative review) their understanding of applying letter-sound correspondence to decode one syllable and multisyllable words in isolation and decodable connected text. (PR 2.A & 2.A.3) (S)

The materials provide students with opportunities to develop and practice applying letter-sound correspondence to decode one-syllable and multisyllable words. In "Word Builders," Session 8 (Unit 3), students learn long a spelling patterns (a_e, ai, ay) through word sorts, supporting initial understanding. They practice decoding in isolation by reading poems with long a words, hunting for long a words during independent reading, and reading the room. Cumulative review activities, however, are not present. For the silent e, teachers model decoding words like Nate and students engage in guided practice with words like Mike, then practice both decoding and encoding in pairs using Say and Spell cards. When solving challenging words, teachers model, and students practice decoding words by "chunks" or syllables, blending those segments back together during Share and Extensions. Teachers also model decoding multisyllabic words by syllable division, for example by clapping out the syllables in determination. In "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 16 (Unit 1), for the er sound, students learn multiple spellings through a mnemonic phrase: “Her first nurse works the early calendar,” which helps them associate er spellings with frequency and positional use. Students practice decoding in isolation by reading er words, then encode dictated er words on whiteboards, testing different spellings to identify the correct one. However, reinforcement of this knowledge through cumulative activities is not present. Despite these varied activities for isolated practice, the curriculum lacks consistent use of decodable connected text to support the application of skills in controlled, meaningful reading contexts. In "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 6 (Unit 1), while students engage with texts that include target patterns, these texts are not always decodable, and the majority of decoding practice occurs in isolation rather than in authentic reading passages.

Evaluation for 5.D.1a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing phonological awareness activities in accordance with grade-level TEKS that begins with simple skills and larger units of sound (e.g., identifying and producing rhyming words, recognizing spoken alliteration, identifying the individual words in spoken sentences) and gradually transitions to more complex skills and smaller units of sound (e.g., adding, deleting, and substituting syllables). (PR 2.A.1)

The materials do include a systematic sequence for introducing phonological awareness activities but not in accordance with grade-level TEKS that begin with simple skills and gradually transition to more complex skills. For example, in Small Groups to Support Phonics, Small Group 6, a lesson on onset and rime manipulation, a mid-level skill, does not demonstrate a clear progression from larger units of sound (like rhyming, alliteration, or sentence segmentation) to smaller units (such as phoneme addition, deletion, or substitution). The materials remain at the onset-rime level. Similarly, instruction on long and short vowel sounds or r-controlled vowel sounds typically focuses on phonics (spelling patterns and pronunciation) in printed words rather than on phonological or phonemic awareness that occurs without reliance on print. Although "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 16 (Unit 1), indicates a spiraled sequence that builds on earlier skills from consonant blends and digraphs to long-vowel patterns, diphthongs, r-controlled vowels, inflected endings, and vocabulary, these phonological awareness activities frequently rely on print, which contradicts the fundamental nature of oral phonological awareness. Furthermore, the material does not systematically transition from larger units of sound to smaller units, even when guiding students to discover rhyming words by listening rather than just looking for them in a text.

Evaluation for 5.D.1b
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction for teaching phonological awareness skills with recommended explanatory feedback for students based on common errors and misconceptions. (PR 2.A & 2.A.2) (T)

In "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 1 (Unit 1), hearing and clapping syllables does not align with more advanced grade-level phonemic skills, such as manipulating phonemes or distinguishing long and short vowels in spoken words. The provided coaching moves and feedback in this context often center around phonics features, like identifying graphemes in names, without addressing or supporting the development of phonological awareness. There is no direct instruction or feedback prompts to help students analyze or correct mistakes related to syllable segmentation or misconceptions about sounds in spoken language. Although some "Coaching Moves" sections in the materials support the correction of sound identification errors, "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 5 (Unit 1) states, "Does it sound like 'car,' 'tiger,' or 'fork'?" This type of guidance is not consistently present across lessons. Phonological awareness practices, such as those focusing on medial sounds or distinguishing er, or, and ar sounds, often depend on the use of print, like using written words or word cards to identify sounds. While a sidebar might suggest using pictures for students needing more support with listening to words, routine coaching or feedback specifically for phonological awareness is generally absent. The materials do offer some explicit instruction in phonological awareness in Growing into "Second Grade Phonics," Session 3 (Unit 1), for example by having the teacher model the recognition of silent e and other long vowels through a short story, or modeling different ways the long a can be represented through a letter. Students participate in a Word Hunt, raising their hands when they hear a word with a specific sound. However, the materials do not include clear guidance for addressing common student misconceptions or errors during these activities. For example, if a student incorrectly identifies a silent e word or a long a word, there is no recommended explanatory feedback for the teacher to use.

Evaluation for 5.D.1c
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources (including the use of memory-building strategies) for students to develop, practice, and reinforce phonological awareness skills connected to grade-level TEKS (through cumulative review). (PR 2.A & 2.A.3) (S)

In "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 18 (Unit 1), a lesson on hearing and producing rhymes, or hearing and counting syllables, aligns with early phonological awareness but not with grade 2 TEKS, which require more advanced phonemic awareness like distinguishing long/short vowel sounds and manipulating phonemes. The materials typically provide only a one-time exposure to these skills without cumulative review or repeated, spaced practice essential for long-term memory and mastery. While the material utilizes anchor charts, like the "How to Find Powerful Word Patterns" chart, and activities such as studying rhyming words in nursery rhymes or locating word patterns in a letter found in "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 14 (Unit 1), these examples primarily focus on visual or spelling patterns rather than phonological awareness. In some instances, students practice phonological awareness, but the activities often immediately connect to phonics skills or rely on written forms, like using a written vowel chart for feedback on medial sounds, rather than providing sufficient time for isolated oral practice. Small Group to Support Phonics, Small Group 40, offers some activities for phonological awareness skills, such as those in "Troublemaker Words," where students use strategies like chanting, stomping, clapping, whispering, and writing words. However, the materials do not include a variety of activities and/or resources (including the use of memory-building strategies) for students to develop, practice, and reinforce phonological awareness skills connected to grade-level TEKS. While sessions may review previously taught phonics concepts like silent e, vowel teams, diphthongs, r-controlled vowels, blends, and digraphs, the final session of a unit often celebrates concepts like rhyming words rather than serving as a comprehensive cumulative review of all phonological awareness skills.

Evaluation for 5.D.2a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing phonemic awareness activities that begins with identifying, blending, and segmenting phonemes, and gradually transitions to more complex manipulation practices such as adding, deleting, and substituting phonemes. (PR 2.A.1)

In "Word Builders," Session 4 (Unit 3), the material focuses on identifying words that sound alike based on rhyme, alliteration, or shared word parts. These are early phonological awareness skills and do not align with grade 2 TEKS, which require blending, segmenting, and manipulating phonemes. The primary objective in this session involves listening for familiar parts within words to aid spelling and finding other words that "sound the same" and share similar spellings. This approach functions more as a spelling or orthographic analogy strategy than a true phonemic awareness task. Additionally, when students hear, say, and clap syllables, they are engaging in a phonological awareness skill at the syllable level, not a phonemic awareness skill. Grade 2 TEKS for phonemic awareness focus on manipulating individual phonemes and identifying long and short vowel sounds in both single and multisyllabic words. The materials do not indicate a progression from identifying, blending, or segmenting phonemes to more complex manipulation tasks. The activities remain at the syllable level, failing to transition to individual phonemes as required for this grade level. The materials do not include a systematic sequence for phonemic awareness activities. For example, in "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 2 (Unit 1), one of the first phonological awareness activities consists of isolating and hearing different medial sounds without explicit instruction on initial or final phonemes. This session includes phonological awareness portions of a lesson to hear and produce rhymes; however, they do not include complex manipulation of phonemes by addition, deletion, or substitution with explicit instruction, modeling, and practice. For example, in this session about rhymes, the focus is on both seeing and hearing the rhyme, which would consist of hearing a substitution in the initial sounds, but there is no intentional manipulation by the student to create those sounds.

Evaluation for 5.D.2b
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction for teaching phonemic awareness with recommended explanatory feedback for students based on common errors and misconceptions. (PR 2.A & 2.A.2) (T)

The materials do not include explicit instruction for teaching phonemic awareness with explanatory feedback based on common errors and misconceptions. While some lessons incorporate phonemic awareness activities, these often involve print, hindering the development of purely oral and auditory skills. "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 5 (Unit 1), offers some feedback and coaching moves. For example, the feedback and coaching moves include guidance about rhyming: "Read this part again and listen to it really carefully" and "Pay close attention to how each line ends.” “Writers often put rhymes at the end of a line." In small group lessons also within Session 5, students combine a blend or letter with a word part to say a word. However, this session does not include instruction for teaching phonemic awareness with recommended explanatory feedback for students based on common errors and misconceptions. Furthermore, "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 6 (Unit 1), does not consistently provide explicit guidance for teachers to address common errors or misconceptions in phonemic awareness. For example, a sidebar note might advise teachers to simply state the correct spelling if a child makes an error, implying that increased reading will develop a sense of "what looks right," rather than providing specific corrective feedback. Another note might suggest amending a lesson to use a "powerful" word pair without offering explicit guidance for addressing student misconceptions about phonological awareness or patterns.

Evaluation for 5.D.2c
Materials include explicit (direct) guidance for connecting phonemic awareness skills to the alphabetic principle, to support students in the transition from oral language activities to basic decoding and encoding. (PR 2.A.1) (T)

The materials do not consistently provide explicit guidance for connecting phonemic awareness skills to the alphabetic principle, which hinders students' transition from oral language activities to basic decoding and encoding. For example, in "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 16 (Unit 1), when students hear and produce rhymes using picture cards, the focus later shifts to observing how that rhyme does not guarantee consistent spelling patterns, rather than explicitly teaching how sounds map to letters. While students may read text and look or listen for rhyming words, the direct connection between oral sound awareness and the systematic mapping of those sounds to graphemes (alphabetic principle) is not consistently taught or reinforced. The curriculum tends to approach spelling through whole word patterns rather than sound-by-sound instruction, which contradicts the fundamental idea of one-to-one sound-to-letter correspondence. Some lessons include phonemic awareness practice, but explicit instruction for connecting these oral skills to print is often absent. For instance, in "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 15 (Unit 1), a lesson about r-controlled vowels, students listen for sounds and sort picture cards without print, but the curriculum does not provide explicit guidance on connecting these auditory discriminations to specific graphemes. Coaching Moves, such as "What's in the picture? Say the word," or those used with picture cards featuring blank letter spaces, require students to identify words and spellings before explicitly connecting phonemes to print. "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 3 (Unit 1), also lacks specific terms, phrasing, or instructional language to guide teachers in explicitly linking phonemic awareness to the alphabetic principle. For example, after a lesson on identifying long vowel sounds, teacher guidance might prompt them to "Stress that readers can choose to read in ways that help them learn phonics. Set up partners to read a poem twice, once as literature and once more to learn phonics, noticing ways to signal long vowels," without direct guidance on the sound-to-letter mapping. Similarly, after a lesson on vowel teams, a teacher instructs students: "So try reading the word a few ways and always remember to ask, 'Does that make sense?' until you find the way that is right. Find a way to sink the ball!" This emphasizes meaning over explicit phoneme-grapheme connection.

Evaluation for 5.D.2d
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce phonemic awareness skills (through cumulative review). (PR 2.A & 2.A.3) (S)

"Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 2 (Unit 1), provides limited and inconsistent opportunities for students to develop, practice, and reinforce phonemic awareness skills. While some isolated lessons address phonological or phonemic awareness, such as identifying or generating rhymes, distinguishing r-controlled vowels, and differentiating between long and short vowel sounds, these are not part of a comprehensive or systematic instructional approach. While Small Groups to Support Phonics, Chapter 9, offers some phonological awareness activities, such as using anchor charts to "Tame Troublemaker Words" by chanting, stomping, clapping, whispering, and writing words, these often blend phonological awareness with spelling strategies. For instance, students develop strategies for remembering how to spell commonly misspelled high-frequency words using a "Tackle a Word" anchor chart that encourages repeated writing. "Growing in Second Phonics," Session 14 (Unit 1), includes lessons on adding phonemes to word patterns, but it does not include cumulative review of these patterns in future units, nor does it provide a variety of activities or resources for students to develop and practice phonemic awareness. For example, students might examine the rhyming parts of words to deduce patterns, but the unit does not follow with a cumulative review of these word patterns. Similarly, while students may sort word cards based on vowel sounds and consonants in multisyllabic words, the unit does not include a cumulative review of these patterns. Overall, the materials lack consistent opportunities to reinforce phonemic awareness skills through cumulative review.

Evaluation for 5.E.1a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level sound-spelling patterns, as outlined in the TEKS. (PR 2.A.1)

The materials provide a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level sound-spelling patterns, aligning with the TEKS. It begins with a spiraled review of first-grade foundational skills, including consonant blends, digraphs, and trigraphs (three-letter blends like slp). Guide to the Phonics Unit of Study, Chapter 1, instruction progresses to long vowel patterns, diphthongs, r-controlled vowels, inflectional endings, and vocabulary development. The systematic sequence includes explicit introductions and builds upon a range of grade-appropriate phonics skills, such as VCe patterns, vowel teams, silent letters, hard and soft sounds of c and g, suffixes and prefixes, and words with a schwa sound. For instance, the material begins with long vowels and silent e, then moves into r-controlled vowels, spelling patterns, and rhyming words. The progression extends from consonant blends and digraphs to trigraphs, long-vowel patterns, diphthongs, r-controlled vowels, inflected endings, and vocabulary, spiraling to reinforce learning and build additional complexity. In "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 1 (Unit 1), students use knowledge of CVC, CCVC, and CVCe patterns for spelling, apply long-vowel patterns in reading, review and use high-frequency words, and recognize and use r-controlled vowels in single-syllable words. In the third Bend of Unit 1, students spell words in larger chunks using spelling patterns, use a tool to review common phonograms, work with patterns that have different spellings but the same rhyme, and use phonograms to create rhyming texts. While a "Second-Grade Vowel Team" anchor chart supports students in reading words with vowel teams and decoding tricky multisyllabic words, the overall instruction on sound-spelling patterns maintains a systematic sequence.

Evaluation for 5.E.1b
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction for grade-level sound-spelling patterns. (PR 2.A.1) (T)

In "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 2 ( Unit 1) in a lesson on the VCe pattern, the teacher directly models with words like Nate and Mike, guiding students to compare short and long vowel spellings. Students then apply this knowledge through partner work using word cards with both short and long vowel words, such as lick, slime, cats, shade, last, and lake. They further reinforce their understanding by practicing minimal pair distinctions like pin/pine and mine/mane on whiteboards. This session includes explicit instruction for sound-spelling patterns. For instance, in a lesson about the silent e, the teacher models with Mike and then has students practice, prompting them to indicate whether the vowel is long or short. Students continue this work in small groups using "Say and Spell" cards. For r-controlled sounds, the teacher indicates multiple spellings, provides examples, offers strategies for choosing the correct spelling based on word position, and has students practice on whiteboards. "Big Words Take Big Resolve," Session 10 (Unit 2), teaches students to spell words ending in -ick and -ic. The teacher models using -ck in one-syllable words like pick, stick, and lick. When introducing multisyllabic words, the teacher clarifies that ic is more commonly used unless it is a compound word. During guided practice, students apply this rule on whiteboards, spelling a mix of one- and multisyllable words such as comic, garlic, brick, quick, plastic, and traffic. "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 15 (Unit 1), includes teacher guidance for explicit, direct instruction in grade-level sound-spelling patterns. For instance, the materials instruct teachers to guide students by saying, "In the rhyming words book and look, I see the pattern '-ook'. Are you ready to test whether this is a powerful pattern? Let us try the trick of checking this pattern by adding consonants and blends to the front of it." Following this, the class sequentially adds new consonants to the front of the -ook pattern, calling out words like cook, hook, look, and took.

Evaluation for 5.E.1c
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce grade-level sound-spelling patterns (through cumulative review). (PR 2.A.1) (T)

The lesson materials in each unit provide a variety of activities for students to use to develop and practice grade-level sound-spelling patterns. In "Growing in Second Grade Phonics," Session 1 (Unit 1), while students observe and collect spelling patterns by reading, and study rhyming words to determine patterns, the units do not include cumulative review of these patterns. The activities within each session, including Active Engagement, Rug Time, Share, and Extension components, are not cumulative. In "Word Builders," Session 7 (Unit 3), the teacher reviews that the long a sound can be spelled using the VCe pattern (e.g., plane) or the ai vowel team (e.g., rain) to develop grade-level sound-spelling patterns. The teacher models spelling example words and demonstrates using visual judgment to determine correct spellings. Students then sort words under correct headings based on spelling patterns. For guided practice, students generate additional words with the long a sound and use whiteboards to test different spellings. "Word Collectors," Session 7 (Unit 4), also supports the development and practice of spelling generalizations related to suffixes. The teacher introduces these generalizations using an anchor chart, covering rules such as dropping the silent e before adding a vowel suffix, doubling the final consonant in words with a short vowel, using -es with words that end in ch, sh, s, x, or z, and changing y to i before adding a vowel suffix. However, while these lessons support initial instruction and discussion, they do not include cumulative review or spiraled practice of previously taught patterns across units.

Evaluation for 5.E.1d
Materials provide a variety of activities and/or resources to support students in decoding and encoding words that include taught sound-spelling patterns, both in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in decodable connected text that builds on previous instruction (e.g., within sentences or decodable texts). (PR 2.A.1 & 2.A.3) (S)

The materials provide various activities and resources to support students in decoding and encoding words in isolation, aligning with taught sound-spelling patterns. However, they lack consistent integration of decodable connected text that builds upon previously taught phonics skills. For example, in "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 18 (Unit 1), students engage in partner spelling games like Spell It, where one student dictates a word (e.g., spring, skate, brick, chill) and the other spells it, with feedback from their partner. In Pass the Pattern Wheel, students choose a rime (e.g., ack, ore) and collaboratively generate words, reinforcing decoding and encoding of isolated patterns. "Big Words Take Big Resolve," Session 9 (Unit 2), also includes engaging activities for specific patterns, such as the hard and soft c and g sounds. Students decode and sort word cards like city, carton, gems, and goals to reinforce identification and application of these patterns. They learn a mnemonic song for the soft c and g rules and read tongue twisters like "Gymnasts are judged by their jumps on the gym floor" to reinforce pronunciation. Students also encode CVC, CCVC, and CVCe pattern words using Say and Spell cards, where they say a word like plus and then spell it on letter blanks. In "Growing into Second-Grade Phonics," Session 6 (Unit 1), lessons on the sounds of er provide word lists and strategies for choosing the correct spelling based on word position, with students practicing encoding on whiteboards. Similarly, in Session 6, lessons on ic and ick endings include words like pick, stick, and music with explanations for spelling rules in multisyllabic words, and provide activities for encoding words that include taught sound-spelling patterns in isolation. While the materials effectively support decoding and encoding in isolation, the curriculum does not consistently utilize decodable texts that align with or build upon current phonics instruction. Tongue twisters, for instance also in Session 9, do not qualify as decodable connected text because they are not controlled for previously taught phonics patterns. The materials do not include decodable sentences or passages, nor do they provide scaffolded application of encoding or decoding within connected text to promote fluency over time. Although nursery rhymes might be used for decoding practice, they do not consistently reinforce specific phonics patterns learned in isolation.

Evaluation for 5.E.2a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing regular and irregular high-frequency words. (PR 2.A.1)

The materials include a systematic sequence of instruction for regular and irregular high-frequency words. In A Guide to the Unit of Phonics, regular high-frequency words are taught alongside phonics instruction, aligning with the spelling patterns students are currently learning. The materials refer to previously taught high-frequency words from kindergarten and grade 1 as "snap words," which students review using a word wall and individual word lists. Each student receives a My Snap Words Book to support independent writing throughout the year, and they engage in interactive activities like partner spelling quizzes, I Spy games, and speed-reading practice to build fluency and automaticity. Furthermore, the materials provide a progression for teaching regular and irregular high-frequency words, starting with basic word building by adding initial consonants to word parts that are also high-frequency words. It then moves on to teaching other vowel-consonant rimes. The Guide to the Unit of Phonics suggests teaching only a few "snap words" each week, emphasizing practice in isolation and within lists, books, and stories. In grade 2, the shift to calling these "troublemaker words" highlights a focus on spelling. Students study these tricky words by noticing their difficult parts using a "Tackle a Word!" anchor chart and a list of common "troublemakers." The materials introduce irregular high-frequency words, referred to as "troublemaker words" as well, as those that commonly challenge grade 2 students as found in "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 4 (Unit 1). Instruction in the session focuses on spelling these words, even though students typically recognize them automatically when reading. The program introduces a set of 50 "troublemaker words" drawn from commonly used words in children's writing. The sequence of word introduction ensures students have the necessary vocabulary for subsequent phonics instruction. For example, Unit 1 introduces general "snap words," followed two lessons later by snap words with r-controlled vowels, and then "troublemaker words" like said and where a few lessons after that.

Evaluation for 5.E.2b
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction for decoding and encoding regular and irregular high-frequency words. (PR 2.A.1) (T)

The materials provide direct instruction on spelling and decoding high-frequency words, including those considered irregular. Students learn to identify and practice reading and spelling strategies for these words through teacher modeling and guided practice. For example, in Small Groups to Support Phonics, Small Group 40, when teaching irregular high-frequency words like what, where, when, why, and who, the teacher displays these words and models a routine for "taming troublemaker words." This routine involves looking closely at the word, identifying the tricky part (e.g., the silent h), thinking of a tip to remember it, and then chanting and writing the words to reinforce spelling. This sequence explicitly teaches both decoding (by breaking apart words and recognizing regular/irregular parts) and encoding (through chanting, writing, and memory strategies), combining visual, auditory, and kinesthetic elements for retention. In "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 8 (Unit 1), the materials focus on challenging high-frequency words such as said, they, where, first, and friend; the teacher introduces an anchor chart outlining a step-by-step routine. This routine guides students to study the word carefully, consider if phonics rules apply, invent a memory trick if needed, and then cover, write, and check the word. Practice includes multiple strategies like chanting, repeated writing, taking a "mind picture," or singing and clapping the word. This approach explicitly teaches students to analyze word structure, identify irregular elements, and apply strategies to retain accurate spellings. "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 13 (Unit 1), also includes coaching moves for encoding irregular high-frequency words. For instance, teachers might explain that they sounds like it should be spelled with ay but uses ey, drawing a connection to the rhyming word hey. For where, teachers might suggest thinking that where sounds like there and that both words contain here, using the saying "Here, there, and everywhere."

Evaluation for 5.E.2c
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce skills to decode and encode regular and irregular high-frequency words (through cumulative review). (PR 2.A.1 & 2.A.3) (S)

In "Growing into Second-Grade Phonics," Session 4 (Unit 1), the material includes opportunities for students to develop and practice reading and spelling of irregular high-frequency words. For example, during a lesson about spelling "troublemaker words," students are given Rug Time to practice through the steps of the protocol given during the Teaching and Active Engagement portion of the lesson. Students use a list, choose a word, use the protocol to study the word, think if phonics can help, cover, write, check, and then continue to practice by chanting, writing it over and over, while taking a "mind picture" of the words. While the materials offer strong support for skill development and immediate practice of both regular and irregular high-frequency words, they do not include built-in structures for cumulative review. There are limited opportunities for students to reinforce previously taught, regular high-frequency words or engage in sustained cumulative practice for encoding irregular high-frequency words across lessons or units. The materials offer a variety of structured activities that support students in developing and practicing skills to decode and encode both regular and irregular high-frequency words. In "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 8 (Unit 1), for regular high-frequency words, students review previously learned "snap words" from earlier grades using a word wall and individual word lists. Each student receives a My Snap Words Book for ongoing reference and practice. Activities such as partner quizzing, I Spy games, and speed-reading provide opportunities to build decoding automaticity and reinforce spelling through engaging, student-centered practice. Furthermore in Session 8, for irregular high-frequency words, students learn to analyze "troublemaker words" using anchor charts. These charts guide them through a step-by-step process: studying the word, analyzing whether phonics rules apply, creating memory tricks, and engaging in multisensory practice such as chanting, repeated writing, singing, or clapping the word. Students practice these strategies during designated Rug Time and use a list to choose a word, study it, and then cover, write, and check their spelling. This session also includes a "Troublemaker Word Check-Up" where the teacher dictates recently studied words for students to write on their whiteboards. The materials do not include, however, evidence of a cumulative review that would reinforce encoding or decoding skills for regular and irregular high-frequency words.

Evaluation for 5.E.2d
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources (including the use of memory-building strategies) for students to read, and write high-frequency words in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in connected text (e.g., within sentences or decodable texts). (PR 2.A.1) (S)

In "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 4 (Unit 1), students assess their knowledge of regular and irregular high-frequency words, play I Spy games with these words, and practice speed-reading them. They also use letter sorts with sticky notes and whiteboards for additional practice. A My Snap Words Book provides a resource for reading and writing regular high-frequency words in isolation, reviewing words from earlier grades. The "Tackle a Word!" anchor chart helps students study both regular and irregular high-frequency words. However, there is no evidence of the material including guidance for students to read or write high-frequency words in connected text. "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 6 (Unit 1), includes a variety of activities and/or resources for students to read and write high-frequency words in isolation (e.g., word lists). For example, in Session 6, the teacher states, "I know the R-controlled vowels are confusing, but the good news is that in the end, you mostly learn to spell these words by seeing them over and over again in your books and by writing them over and over again in your stories." Students write high-frequency words in isolation by using whiteboards and markers to spell words with different spelling patterns for the er sound that the teacher reads aloud, and word windows to identify r-controlled vowels on a page from "Those Darn Squirrels." This session lacks any evidence of requiring students to read, and write high-frequency words in connected text (e.g., within sentences or decodable texts). In "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 11 (Unit 1), students use word lists to read words and engage in interactive games like Troublemaker Tollbooth to enhance automatic recognition. They also utilize whiteboards for focused spelling practice, writing high-frequency words to improve encoding fluency, but there is no evidence of the material including guidance for students to read or write high-frequency words in connected text.

Evaluation for 5.E.3a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level syllable types and syllable division principles, as outlined in the TEKS. (PR 2.A.1)

The materials do not systematically introduce grade-level syllable types and syllable division principles, aligning with expectations for second grade. In "Growing into Second Grade Phonics" Unit 1, the instruction begins with spelling one-syllable words with short and long vowel sounds, but does not gradually advance to more complex syllable patterns in multisyllabic words. In small group sessions within this unit, students work with syllable types; however, interaction with patterns moving from simpler syllable types like vowel teams and CVCe words to more complex ones involving endings such as -tion and -y, reading longer words part by part, and spelling syllable by syllable is inconsistent with the syllable patterns outlined in the TEKS. "Big Words Take Big Resolve," Session 2 (Unit 2), includes an isolated example for introducing grade-level syllable division principles, as outlined in the TEKS. For example, students first understand the concept of a syllable before breaking words into syllables to decode them. "Here are some long words that I broke into parts. I signaled for the class to read with me part by part, fan-tas-tic. I slid all the parts of the word together." Session 2, however, lacks an instructional approach that is deliberate, planned, and logically sequenced. In "Small Groups to Support Phonics," Small Group 2, students generate a list of words with short vowels and long vowels and use the vowel chart for long and short vowel sounds. However, a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level syllable types and syllable division principles was not evident.

Evaluation for 5.E.3b
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction for applying knowledge of syllable types and syllable division principles to decode and encode one-syllable or multisyllabic words. (PR 2.A.1) (T)

The materials do not include teacher guidance for explicit instruction for applying knowledge of syllable types or syllable division principles to decode or encode. In "Growing into Second-Grade Phonics," Session 2 (Unit 1), students engage in an r-controlled vowel activity using a pocket chart. They match words such as car, fork, and tiger to pictures like star, thorn, and flower based on shared r-controlled sounds. While the activity targets phoneme-level awareness, it does not guide the teacher to introduce or define the r-controlled syllable type, nor does it model how to use syllable knowledge during decoding or encoding tasks. Students are not taught to recognize r-controlled syllables as part of a system for analyzing or spelling multisyllabic words. In "Big Words Take Big Resolve," Session 5 (Unit 2), a teacher says, “Today I want to teach you another way to read words methodically from tip to tail. When a challenging word has a consonant followed by 'le', you can make the word more manageable by breaking the word before the consonant.” This statement hints at a syllable division rule for consonant-le words but lacks further instructional support. There is no modeling across multiple examples, no explanation of why this division works, and no connection to encoding practice. The instruction is presented in passing and does not include the explicit teacher guidance needed for students to internalize and apply the principle. In "Big Words Take Big Resolve," Session 7 (Unit 2), a possible teacher coaching move suggests saying, “Remember the sounds those consonants/letters make together. The first consonant is silent—wrist.” While this provides helpful support for a specific irregular word, it does not represent explicit instruction in syllable division or syllable type application. The example is isolated and does not connect to generalizable rules or routines for dividing words or identifying syllable patterns.

Evaluation for 5.E.3c
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to develop, practice and reinforce skills to decode and encode one-syllable or multisyllabic words (through cumulative review). (PR 2.A.1 & 2.A.3) (S)

In "Growing into Second Grade Phonics," Session 5 (Unit 1), for r-controlled vowels, students use picture cards, sing phonics-based songs, and use an alphabet chart to connect sounds to letters for decoding. They also search for r-controlled vowel patterns in their reading and writing. For encoding practice, students use whiteboards to spell targeted r-controlled words and play the Tollbooth Game with a partner to reinforce recognition and spelling. These activities support skill development, repeated practice, and reinforcement across multiple modalities. However, there is no evidence of cumulative review. In "Big Words Take Big Resolve," Session 4 (Unit 2), the curriculum explicitly teaches VCCV (vowel-consonant-consonant-vowel) and VCV (vowel-consonant-vowel) syllable division patterns. The teacher uses word cards contrasting words like hopping/hoping and dinner/diner to highlight syllable division and vowel patterns affecting meaning and pronunciation. An anchor chart outlines syllable division rules, and students apply this knowledge by editing written passages, which provides encoding practice in context. The materials also offer opportunities for students to decode and encode multisyllabic words with double consonants, but there is no cumulative review. In "Big Words Take Big Resolve," Session 1 (Unit 2), the material includes opportunities for students to decode and encode multisyllabic words, such as "tackling challenging words" and practicing with more complex multisyllabic words in extended activities. Students learn to recognize and use letter combinations that represent multiple sounds, like gh, and use familiar words (e.g., might) to help read and spell other words with similar long i sounds (e.g., igh). They also learn to recognize and use vowel sounds in open and closed syllables and decode multisyllabic words using knowledge of the consonant-le syllable. An anchor chart, "Tackling Long Words Part by Part," guides students in breaking off endings like -ing or -ed. However, the material does not include the systematic addition of a recently learned skill to previously learned and related skills, allowing students to practice the skills together. In "Big Words Take Big Resolve," Session 2 (Unit 2), the material provides a variety of activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce skills for decoding and encoding one-syllable and multisyllabic words. Teachers and students co-create anchor charts like "Tackling Long Words Part by Part," then decode words such as lesson and magnet using word lists, sentences, and decodable texts like "Leafcutter Ants." For encoding practice, students participate in activities such as the "Troublemaker Word Check-Up," where the teacher dictates recently studied words for students to write on their whiteboards. However, the materials do not include structured opportunities for cumulative review of previously taught syllable patterns or word types, limiting ongoing reinforcement.

Evaluation for 5.E.3d
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to practice decoding and encoding one-syllable or multisyllabic words, using knowledge of syllable types and syllable division principles, in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in decodable connected text that builds on previous instruction (e.g., within sentences or decodable texts). (PR 2.A & 2.A.3) (S)

The materials do not include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to practice decoding and encoding one-syllable or multisyllabic words, using knowledge of syllable types and syllable division principles, in isolation and in decodable connected text. In "Big Words Take Big Resolve," Session 2 (Unit 2), students decode words with double consonants and then encode multisyllabic words using word lists and cards. They also work with vowel sounds in open and closed syllables and decode words ending in consonant-le. However, the lessons do not name or teach specific syllable types (e.g., open, closed, consonant-le) or guide students in using these patterns to decode or encode unfamiliar words. Practice remains focused on surface-level sound and spelling work without leveraging or reinforcing syllable division knowledge. In addition, the materials do not include opportunities for students to apply these skills in decodable connected text. Instruction is limited to isolated word-level activities, with no structured integration into sentence- or paragraph-level reading. Similarly, in Unit 2, Session 5, students engage in hands-on practice with consonant-le syllables by using word cards, cutting them into parts, and adding “troublemaker words" to a class anchor chart. They write target words with partners and refer to a word wall. While these activities support visual and kinesthetic engagement, they focus exclusively on the current syllable pattern and do not integrate or revisit previously taught syllable types. There is no cumulative practice that supports generalization of syllable knowledge, and there is no evidence of application within connected, decodable text that would allow students to reinforce these skills in context. In Unit 2, Session 11, the material presents a variety of literacy routines such as checking “troublemaker words" from a Word Book, and the teacher may role-play as a student during a whiteboard activity. However, these activities do not involve practice in decoding or encoding that draws on syllable type knowledge or syllable division principles. The instructional sequence lacks teacher modeling of how to use this knowledge when encountering complex words. Additionally, there are no follow-up activities where students apply syllable analysis in reading connected text. As a result, the work remains procedural and isolated from authentic reading experiences.

Evaluation for 5.E.4a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level morphemes, as outlined in the TEKS. (PR 2.A.1)

The materials include a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level morphemes, as outlined in the TEKS. For example, in "Word Collectors," Session 13 (Unit 3), the material introduces compound words and basic affixes, including common prefixes like un- and re-, and simple suffixes like -ful and -ness, explaining that this knowledge helps students understand a wide range of words. For instance, in Unit 3, students learn that prefixes change word meanings before learning new prefixes in a subsequent session. Similarly, they learn how suffixes affect word meanings before learning new suffixes. "Word Collectors," Session 3 (Unit 4), includes a section on spelling words with affixed endings such as -ing, -ed, -s, -es, and -tion. This session further develops affixed endings with a section on "Growing Out World Collections with Affixes." This includes reading aloud texts filled with prefixed and suffixed words, such as unlucky. The material progresses from introducing prefixes to having students write using precise words. A lesson on investigating how suffixes affect word meaning invites students to choose a suffix and collect words ending with it from a letter, such as -ing, -ly, -ed, and -est. Also in this unit, the material explicitly teaches common prefixes such as un-, non-, pre-, re-, and in-. The unit also provides instruction in various suffixes, including inflectional suffixes. Students learn about spelling changes that occur when adding vowel suffixes to base words, such as dropping the final e or doubling the final consonant. This structured sequence supports decoding, spelling, and vocabulary development. "Big Words Take Big Resolve," Session 13 (Unit 2), focuses on the spelling changes that occur when adding vowel suffixes to base words, such as dropping the final e or doubling the final consonant. These morphemes are introduced in a structured sequence that supports decoding, spelling, and vocabulary development in alignment with grade-level TEKS expectations.

Evaluation for 5.E.4b
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction for supporting recognition of common morphemes and using their meanings (e.g., affixes, roots, and base words) to support decoding, encoding, and reading comprehension. (PR 2.A.1) (T)

"Word Collectors," Session 13 ( Unit 4, systematically introduces grade-level morphemes as a part of teacher guidance, which often includes read-alouds with prefixed and suffixed words like unlucky. The teacher guidance progresses from introducing prefixes to guiding students in writing using precise words. This session provides teacher guidance that invites students to choose a suffix and collect words ending with it from a provided text, such as -ing, -ly, -ed, and -est. This session also emphasizes how prefixes change word meanings and prompts students to act out words to demonstrate comprehension of these changes. In "Word Collectors," Session 14 (Unit 4) for prefixes, the teacher uses an anchor chart to introduce and reinforce the meaning of a specific prefix. Teachers guide students in analyzing sentences containing the target prefix and discuss how the prefix alters the meaning of the base word. Students generate lists of words using the taught prefix, create scrapbook pages to explain their learning, and design secret passwords with prefixes to demonstrate word formation. Students also experiment with adding prefixes to base words, evaluating if the resulting words are real or meaningful. Scripted teacher guidance provides clear definitions and examples, and students practice with the teacher and in groups, receiving coaching on determining word meanings with prefixes. "Big Words Take Big Resolve," Session 14 (Unit 2), teaches students about spelling changes that occur when adding suffixes such as -ing and -ed, to base words. The teacher explicitly models this process by writing and speaking aloud during informational text writing. An anchor chart outlines common suffixes and their associated spelling rules. Teacher guidance requires students to practice encoding with whiteboards, applying suffix rules to new words, and engage in hands-on word building using letter cards and phonogram cards. This instructional sequence provides multiple ways to support decoding and encoding, linking morphemes to comprehension through application in authentic writing tasks.

Evaluation for 5.E.4c
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce grade-level morphological skills (through cumulative review). (PR 2.A.1 & 2.A.3) (S)

The materials include activities for students to practice and develop grade-level morphological skills. In "Big Words Take Big Resolve," Session 16 (Unit 1), students learn the spelling convention of changing y to i before adding suffixes like -es or -ed, as seen in the transformation of baby to babies. The teacher introduces this rule with examples and records it on a "Spelling Tips for Words with Endings" anchor chart. Students practice this rule by editing text, searching for examples in their independent reading, and revising their own writing. "Big Words Take Big Resolve," Session 13 (Unit 2), includes lessons about learning to recognize, form, write, read, and spell words with inflectional endings (-ing and -ed). There is explicit scripted language, teacher demonstration with word cards, and practice in the whole group and small groups. The materials, however, do not include activities to reinforce grade-level morphological skills through cumulative review. In "Word Collectors," Session 18 (Unit 4) for suffixes, students learn to recognize, form, write, read, and spell words with inflectional endings like -ing and -ed. The teacher explicitly models this with word cards, and students practice in whole and small groups. For example, students edit a paper where the silent e was not dropped before adding -ing or -ed, and partners add endings to base words and check each other's work. Students also develop morphological awareness by learning suffixes like -ful and -less. They use word and suffix cards to build words such as powerful and hopeless, practice using them in sentences, and listen for target suffixes in read-alouds. They further extend their learning by collecting suffix examples, participating in a gallery walk, and adding new words to a personal scrapbook. The curriculum also uses songs, such as "More Prefix Riddle Songs," to introduce new prefixes like preview. However, the materials do not include activities and resources to reinforce grade-level morphological skills through cumulative review.

Evaluation for 5.E.4d
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to decode and encode words with morphemes in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in decodable connected text that builds on previous instruction (e.g., within sentences or decodable texts). (PR 2.A.1 & 2.A.3) (S)

The materials include activities and resources for students to decode words with morphemes in isolation. In "Word Collectors," Session 13 (Unit 4), students learn prefixes like un- and non-. The teacher uses a pocket chart to display prefixed words, helping students decode each word and analyze its meaning. Students also encode words with these prefixes on whiteboards, reinforcing spelling patterns in isolation. They act out the meanings of the words, generate additional prefixed words, and create silly sentences using the target morphemes. The materials offer scripted language about what a prefix is and its meaning, an anchor chart with examples, and opportunities for practice with the teacher and in groups. Some lessons include pre-selected word lists and coaching moves for determining word meanings with prefixes. Students use prefix cards for in-, un-, and non- in pocket charts and engage in prefix riddles and songs during lesson activities and extensions. Students also use prefix word lists to describe character feelings and practice turning words into their opposites by adding prefixes. In "Word Collectors," Session 14 (Unit 4), the material includes a variety of activities and/or resources for students to decode and encode words with morphemes in isolation. For example, the students use prefix cards for in-, un-, and non- in a column in the pocket chart; they also use prefix riddles and songs during the lesson components and lesson extension activities. "Big Words Take Big Resolve," Session 14 (Unit 2), also teaches students the spelling convention of doubling consonants before adding vowel suffixes. The teacher explicitly models this rule using example words in sentences. Students then engage in encoding activities with letter and affix cards, constructing words that follow the convention. Additional practice includes spelling activities and reading "double consonant blooper" examples. The curriculum includes lessons on recognizing, forming, writing, reading, and spelling words with inflectional endings like -ing and -ed, providing explicit scripted language, teacher demonstrations with word cards, and practice in whole and small groups. The materials do not include activities and resources for students to decode and encode words with morphemes in connected text.