Units of Study in Reading, Grade 2

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

The materials do not include a scope and sequence document, and the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) or English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) are not mentioned or cited within the instructional materials. The table of contents within each unit includes the title of each Bend and Session, but does not include the concepts taught. At the end of each unit, the materials provide a unit overview that outlines the Sessions, or lessons, for each Bend, including the titles for each section of the lesson. However, this overview does not include the concepts taught, and does not reference or align the lessons to the TEKS or ELPS. In "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), the unit overview lists sessions such as "Super Readers Activate Picture Power to Predict," "Super Readers Look Closely at Vowels," and "Super Readers Combine Their Power."

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)

Within A Guide to the Reading Workshop, K–2, "What Does the Series Contain?" explains that each unit represents 4–6 weeks of teaching. However, there is no pacing guide or calendar included for year-long pacing instruction. The guide offers only an outline of the time allotment for each component of the reading workshop session as a suggested daily schedule, including the Minilesson (8–10 minutes), "Work Time" (30 minutes), and "Share Time" (5 minutes). A Guide to the Reading Workshop, K–2 recommends teachers adjust their sequence of units based on data, "If your assessments reveal that students' skills are currently far below grade-level benchmarks, you might choose to alter your intended sequence of units for the year and borrow a unit or two from your lower-grade colleagues." However, it does not provide a suggested pacing for the alternative sequence of units.

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.

"Understanding the Strategic Design of the Units of Study Curriculum" of A Guide to the Reading Workshop, K–2 outlines the rationale and instructional design intended to support skill development across each unit and its internal sections, referred to as "Bends." This section states that "one day's teaching links to the next, building students' repertoire of skills and strategies," and references that each unit is linked to the next. Each new skill builds upon previously learned skills because skills are revisited unit to unit to ensure more student mastery, i.e., the instruction is recursive. A Guide to the Reading Workshop, K–2 provides an example of how fluency develops across the curriculum from rereading familiar texts in kindergarten to building understanding of pitch, rhythm (known as prosody), and pace in grade 2. A Guide to the Reading Workshop, K–2 also states that the sequence of units is designed to be flexible and can be adjusted based on student data. This flexibility contrasts with the stated rationale that units are intentionally ordered and interconnected. For example, in A Guide to the Reading Workshop, K–2, the materials describe how "critical skills develop across not only the units but also the grades," and emphasize how lessons within and across units build upon one another.

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

In grade 2, the materials include a "Unit Essentials" section at the beginning of each unit, which supports teachers in establishing classroom routines and understanding the instructional structure of the unit. This section provides an overview of each Bend, describing how the instruction progresses and provides alignment with other products from the same publisher for phonics, writing, and assessment. The materials also offer guidance on what teachers should look for in the classroom, including suggestions for classroom observations and instructional priorities to reinforce the unit’s learning goals. This deep-level overview of each unit guides teachers to internalize the unit. Although the materials outline how teachers should navigate each unit, they do not provide explicit protocols such as planning templates, pre-lesson analysis guides, or reflection questions to help teachers internalize lessons before instruction. A Guide to the Reading Workshop, K–2 provides guidance on how to teach each section of the reading workshop session. However, it does not provide teachers with corresponding guidance for unit or lesson internalization.

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

In grade 2, the materials do not include resources specifically designed for instructional leaders to support teachers with implementation. The content focuses on classroom-level guidance for teachers, including how to use the resources, how work times are structured, and how to consider assessment data during instruction. Supporting All Readers, High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences, K–2 provides teachers with guidance for the implementation of differentiated, responsive instruction during work time. The guide does not mention how instructional leaders should support teachers with this implementation. A Guide to the Reading Workshop, K–2 emphasizes that colleagues serve as teachers’ greatest resource. Although it suggests collaboration with instructional leaders, it does not provide specific guidance for those 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.

In grade 2, the materials include a "Unit Essentials" section at the beginning of each unit in the Teacher Edition. This section includes a storyline of the unit, which explains each Bend, the assessments, and precursor skills needed for the unit, alignment to other units, and what the teacher needs to prepare in advance. "Becoming A Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1) provides detailed implementation guidance and background knowledge on a variety of topics taught within the unit (e.g., fluency, reading a text series, flexible word solving). This supports teachers' understanding of these foundational skills, ensuring they are prepared to effectively teach the content. While academic vocabulary is used within the unit overview, the teacher-facing section does not provide guidance for academic vocabulary instruction. For example, in "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), the author uses academic terms such as multisyllabic, vowel teams, fiction, nonfiction, and graphics. However, these terms are not introduced in a way that defines the terms for unfamiliar educators, and the unit overview does not suggest that any of these terms will be used with students.

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.

Within A Guide to the Reading Workshop, K–2, "Affirming and Supporting Multilingual Learners" provides information on supporting multilingual learners in the classroom. However, it is not specific to Spanish-speaking students, and family support resources are not provided. The content is intended for classroom teachers and emphasizes a consistent instructional structure that provides texts in students’ native languages, and maintains a uniform teaching language across units and grade levels. In "Growing Knowledge Together" (Unit 5), the "Unit Essentials" outlines strategies for "Supporting Multilingual Language Learners (MLLs) in This Unit." Strategies include using Spanish mentor texts, having students draw upon their home language in the classroom, partnering students with native-English speakers, and staying in communication with pull-out service providers. No resources for families are included in the unit.

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).

Each lesson is presented as a detailed narrative script for the teacher, outlining specific language to use during instruction. However, it lacks alignment to specific TEKS or ELPS. A daily objective is offered as a session teaching point. For example, in "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), Bend I, Session 3, the teaching point is stated as, "Today I want to teach you that word solvers use self-talk to remind themselves to try everything they know when they get to a tricky word, especially ones with tricky vowels! When words have tricky vowels, they try the sound one way, then another  . . . then another!" This teaching point shows the objective and is used throughout the session to help students master reading words with the schwa sound. Tasks are incorporated into both the mini-lesson and work time portions of this session to engage students in actively working toward mastery of the learning objective. In Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books (Unit 3), Bend III, Session 4, tasks include students decoding a passage that contains words with a schwa sound and a small group lesson on sorting words with and without the schwa sound. The session also includes questions and prompts to check for understanding of the teaching point. In "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), additional instructional notes are included alongside the mini-lesson that provide prompts and supports for the teacher to ensure that students understand the learning objective. For example, one session’s teaching point centers around readers using phonics to decode while also thinking deeply about the story. The instructional support suggests the teacher ask, "What big life topics is this book about? You’ve grown an important idea about this book. What in the book made you think about that?" Necessary materials for each session are included in the "Getting Ready" section of each session throughout all of the unit plans. In "Growing Knowledge Together" (Unit 5), Bend I, Session 3 listed materials include a demonstration text, sticky notes, an anchor chart, and student research notebooks.

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.

In grade 2, each unit includes session plans that outline specific learning tasks and identify the materials needed for instruction. Each session features a section to support teacher and student preparation, organized into two subtitled lists: "You Will Need" and "Students Will Need." These lists reference both program-specific and general classroom materials. In "Stepping into the Story" (Unit 4), Bend III, Session 2, the lesson overview lists an anchor text and anchor chart as required teacher materials, and a book club book and sticky notes as required student materials. A Guide to the Reading Workshop, K–2 provides a daily recommended schedule in "The Big Picture of a School Day, of Balanced Literacy, and of a Reading Workshop." In this chapter, the Reading Workshop time is broken down by time as follows: Minilesson (8–10 minutes), Work Time (30 minutes), and Share Time (5 minutes). Guidance is given for the teacher to conduct two small groups during the Work Time block. This guidance is provided for teachers to follow throughout the entire program; however, the suggested timing is not listed on any of the daily lesson overviews. Teachers should read A Guide to the Reading Workshop, K–2 to understand the daily suggested timing.

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

The materials include embedded recommendations for "Supporting All Readers" through designated Gold Pages inserted throughout each Bend. These pages are designed to help teachers support all readers by offering targeted strategies, scaffolds, and small-group guidance beyond the core lesson. For example, the Gold Pages in "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), Bend I include a coaching chart to support decoding and monitoring. Teachers are guided to use this chart for responsive instruction, with prompts and strategies tailored to student needs. The materials advise, "You may want to have this word-solving coaching guide at your fingertips to provide in-the-moment coaching based on students’ needs." This support helps teachers deliver real-time phonics and decoding instruction aligned to observed reading behaviors. An included resource, Supporting All Readers High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences, K–2 provides targeted support across reading development goals for kindergarten through grade 2, including phonics, word recognition, decoding, and fluency. These small group lessons offer teachers flexible options to extend learning for students who need extra support beyond the core unit sessions. Supporting All Readers High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences, K–2 also provides embedded support for teachers to deliver responsive instruction through coaching strategies designed for struggling readers. The reference materials include "If/Then" charts that outline targeted strategies for addressing specific reading challenges. For example, one chart addresses fluency difficulties: "If a student reads too quickly, breezing through large chunks in one breath, then coach them to slow down to think about what they are reading, providing a demonstration if needed." Other fluency challenges (e.g., reading in one- to two-word phrases) are also addressed through coaching strategies that support improved phrasing and overall comprehension. These embedded resources support just-in-time differentiation and targeted intervention during reading instruction.

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.

The materials include opportunities for formative assessment embedded within daily lessons. These assessments vary in task types and questioning strategies. For example, in "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), Bend I, Session 3, students learn about using "self-talk" when decoding words with the schwa sound. Teachers are directed to confer with students during reading time to monitor and encourage their use of self-talk, asking open-ended questions, offering compliments, or providing tips to redirect misconceptions. Additionally, students engage in hands-on practice by reading books and sorting word cards into categories that contain schwa and non-schwa words while the teacher informally observes. These formative checks support in-the-moment instructional adjustments. However, the materials do not include summative assessments after each session or Bend. The materials include summative assessments at the unit level. Each unit ends with a summative assessment, and the following unit includes guidance for supporting students who did not meet expectations on that assessment. These end-of-unit assessments are teacher-administered and focus on key phonics and phonemic awareness skills taught within the unit. These summative assessments vary in types of tasks and questions. For example, in "Becoming A Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), teachers administer the "Phonic Decoding Assessment" and running records. However, minimal guidance is provided on how to implement running records, instead directing teachers to follow district recommendations. The materials suggest using the "Letter-Sound Identification," "High-Frequency Word Assessment," or "Earlier Phonic Blending Assessments" for students who have not yet mastered kindergarten or grade 1 content. These assessments are mentioned as supports but lack explicit integration into the instructional sequence.

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

Throughout the units, formative assessments are labeled as "informal" assessments, while summative assessments are labeled as "formal" assessments. The definitions of these types of assessments are not included. In grade 2, the "Unit Essentials" section of each unit provides guidance for summative student assessment and provides the purpose and impact on instruction. It also includes precursor skills needed for the upcoming unit based on previous units. Guidance in this section is also provided on formative assessments such as running records. This section also states the purpose as to monitor fluency so students can honestly and accurately self-assess their work as well as grow their fluency. After "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), students are assessed on decoding two- and three-syllable words to assess the skills taught in this unit. Proficiency is set at 12–15 out of 15 two-syllable words and 4–5 out of 5 three-syllable words. There is no guidance on next steps if students do not attain this level of proficiency. Formative assessments are also provided throughout the units. In "Stepping into the World of the Story" (Unit 4), Bend II, Session 4, the Gold Page provides a formative assessment on high-frequency words. The materials list sample words to assess and provide instructional supports if students are struggling, including referring the teacher back to previous lessons and Supporting All Readers High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences, K–2. Gold Pages at the end of each Bend provide additional prompts for the teacher to assess students formatively to plan for instruction. In "Stepping into the World of the Story" (Unit 4), Bend II, Session 4, the Gold Page recommends using Supporting All Readers High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences, K–2 for students who are struggling to "move efficiently between decoding words and thinking about the meaning of the text." This resource includes multiple formative assessments that include guidance on their intended instructional purpose. These assessments support teachers in identifying specific student needs and delivering targeted, responsive instruction.

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

In "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), the Gold Pages at the end of the unit provide a Phonic Decoding Assessment focusing on words with vowels teams (including vowel digraphs and diphthongs); two-syllable words with consonant-le, closed syllables, and open syllables; and two-syllable words with all syllable types. The materials give an informal overview of the purpose and why these skills are important for the upcoming units. The materials give suggestions for how to assess, but leave some decisions up to teacher discretion by offering suggestions rather than requirements on how, when, and where to assess students. Target words and sentence stems are provided to support administration. A proficiency score of 12–15 out of 15 is given for each section. While the materials provide guidance on how to use this assessment as a planning tool and an ongoing resource to plan for instruction, the methods were not found to be methodical or consistent. Assessments are often offered as an option rather than a requirement. "Growing Knowledge Together" (Unit 5), provides limited guidance for administering the summative assessments consistently and accurately. Step-by-step procedures and recommended time limits are not included. The reading performance assessment does not indicate time limits or scoring information. Similarly, in "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), the decoding assessment does not include time limits or information on whether a student must decode the word automatically, or if they are allowed to sound out each phoneme and then blend the whole word to decode.

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

There is no evidence that the assessments are aligned with the TEKS. While the materials include formative and summative assessments within each unit, they do not provide a systematic approach to diagnostic testing. For example, in "Becoming A Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), students learn to decode words with vowel teams and r-controlled vowels. In the unit’s summative assessment, students are assessed on their mastery of these words in a decoding assessment, demonstrating internal consistency within the instructional sequence. However, this alignment is not explicitly linked to TEKS, and no diagnostic tools are provided to identify student needs at the start of instruction. In "Stepping into the World of the Story" (Unit 4), the Gold Page at the end of Bend III, Session 3 provides a formative assessment on retelling that aligns with the Bend objectives. The materials direct the teacher to use a retelling progression to assess how students retell after reading a story. The suggestion is for the teacher to, "Ask all students to jot a retell of their book or of a read-aloud text. Sort their jots into categories using the learning progression. Decide which needs you need to follow up with the whole class, and which are better addressed in small groups or one on one." The materials then provide instructional support that aligns with the assessment. In "Stepping into the World of the Story" (Unit 4), students are assessed summatively on comprehension strategies taught within the unit in a literary reading performance assessment. In this task, students share a big idea about a character, include text-based details and content evidence, and utilize literary and academic vocabulary. There is alignment between the concepts taught in the unit and the assessment rubric.

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

The materials include assessments that do not align with the TEKS. While the materials provide summative assessments at the end of each unit that evaluate skills taught during the unit, the assessments are not explicitly aligned to the TEKS. Although some assessed skills may reflect TEKS-based expectations, the materials do not cite the standards or demonstrate a direct connection between assessment items and the TEKS, which limits the ability to ensure full alignment with state expectations. However, the assessments include tasks that reflect an increasing level of cognitive complexity. For example, in "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), on the Phonic Decoding Assessment, students decode words by applying phonics knowledge to blend and read unfamiliar words. This task demonstrates students’ ability to transfer and apply foundational skills, which indicates progress toward mastery, even though the assessment is not explicitly aligned to the TEKS. One summative assessment in "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1) is a teacher-administered running record. The teacher selects a text based on school or district guidance, records the student’s reading accuracy, and asks comprehension questions. The teacher then analyzes decoding accuracy, miscues, and comprehension. While the materials prompt teachers to ask questions during and after reading, they do not specify the types or levels of comprehension questions to be used. As a result, the complexity of this assessment may vary.

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

At the end of each unit, the materials include assessments, which provide guidance for interpreting student performance. The Phonic Decoding Assessment, administered at the end of Units 1–3, is designed to increase in complexity to reflect students’ developing phonics skills. Each section of the assessment includes a proficiency scoring guide. For example, in "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), the two-syllable words section defines proficiency as 12–15 correct out of 15 opportunities. Teachers are instructed to use the results for two main purposes: "to provide continued attention to children who need additional support with decoding," and "to give yourself feedback on your teaching." The materials explicitly guide teachers in using the assessment results to interpret student performance, both in identifying which students need additional decoding support and in evaluating the overall effectiveness of instruction. Teachers are provided with the next steps for students who have demonstrated mastery and for those who require additional support. For example, in "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), teachers are directed to revisit earlier foundational skills assessments for students who still need to solidify skills from kindergarten and grade 1. Listed assessments include the Letter-Sound Identification, High-Frequency Word, and Earlier Phonic Blending Assessments. This guidance supports data-informed instructional planning and helps teachers respond effectively to individual student needs. The scoring information for summative assessments is inconsistent, particularly in the inclusion of proficiency rates and clear guidance for interpreting student performance. While the Phonic Decoding Assessment includes both proficiency benchmarks and scoring guidance, the Running Record and "Reading Performance Assessments" do not, which makes it difficult to gauge student mastery. In "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), the Running Record guidance explains that "you will collect information about word solving, fluency, and comprehension," and encourages teachers to note the reader’s fluency. However, the materials do not specify which texts to use or how to determine text complexity. Moreover, there is no scoring guidance provided. Instead, interpretation relies on broad qualitative observations, such as "When the child’s reading does not match the words of the text, you will study what the child says and does to understand the logic behind that error. Is the child relying on his or her knowledge of letters or sounds, or are they producing a word that only matches a few of the letters but fits the picture?" Additionally, while the program emphasizes that "children benefit from a balanced reading diet," encouraging the use of both decodable and leveled texts, it does not reference any specific level for grade 2. While the instructional assessments offer general guidance for evaluating student performance, the lack of clear scoring criteria and proficiency benchmarks limits the usefulness of the scoring information in supporting instructional decision-making.

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

At the beginning of each Bend, a section titled "The Key Skills and Blueprint Methods of the Bend" provides detailed support for students who did not demonstrate proficiency on the previous unit’s assessments. These supports include targeted tasks and activities for both individuals and small groups, designed to promote continued learning in response to assessment data. For example, in "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), the Blueprints recommend revisiting previously taught phonics concepts to build automaticity, which enables students to more effectively apply those skills when decoding multisyllabic words. Teachers are instructed to use observational and assessment data to identify which concepts should be spiraled and reinforced before introducing them in more complex word structures. Following this guidance, the materials offer planning support for reading groups, including activities for decoding words both in isolation and in connected text. The materials also include "Gold Pages," which include targeted guidance and coaching strategies to help teachers respond to student performance trends. For example, in "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), the Gold Pages feature decoding support tailored to student performance trends on the Phonic Decoding Assessment. For students who need additional support decoding two-syllable words with syllable -le, open, and closed syllable types, the materials direct teachers to the "Word Endings and Multisyllabic Words" progression and the "Decoding, Monitoring, and Checking" progression in Supporting All Readers: High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences, K–2. These instructional sequences guide teachers in leading small-group activities using word cards and ending cards to help students practice and internalize word structure and decoding strategies.

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 Assessment pages at the end of each unit include tracking forms that allow teachers to document individual student performance across the various foundational reading skills contained in that unit. For example, in "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), assessment forms are included for the Phonic Decoding Assessment and then direct teachers to visit the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project website for information regarding the Nonfiction Reading Performance Assessment. All tracking forms are accessible through the online resources platform, enabling teachers to print and use them as needed to record and analyze student progress and growth over time. "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1) refers teachers to kindergarten and grade 1 assessments in the online platform for students who have not yet mastered those skills (e.g., Letter-Sound Identification, High-Frequency Word Assessment, and Earlier Phonic Blending Assessments). The materials do not consistently provide student-facing tools to support students in tracking their own progress and growth. The teacher-facing recording tools are designed specifically for teacher use and do not include features or adaptations for student self-monitoring or reflection. In "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), there is a reference to fluency goal-setting using a student-facing rubric titled "How Does My Reading Sound"? This tool invites students to listen to a partner read and assign up to four stars across four fluency indicators: phrasing, expression, attention to text, and persistence. Based on their partner's reading, students are encouraged to set a personal goal by aiming to increase their own rating by one star and to revisit the rubric regularly to reflect on their fluency development. While this activity promotes student reflection and goal-setting, it is limited in scope and is not connected to the unit’s summative assessments. Additionally, it lacks a structured system for students to track their own progress over time. As a result, opportunities for student ownership of learning through self-assessment and progress tracking are minimal and are not systematically embedded across the instructional materials.

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.

The materials include differentiated instructional guidance in multiple areas such as "Unit Essentials" (unit overviews), "Bend Blueprints," session scripts, Gold Pages following sessions, and small group lessons. This guidance appears in varying formats throughout the curriculum. For example, each Blueprint Method is paired with a skill and associated practice opportunities, which allows for repeated use and adaptation based on student needs. Some Blueprints offer differentiated lessons and activities, while others refer back to lessons from previous units or provide expanded explanations of concepts. The "Unit Essentials" section offers consistent support for differentiation across all units by identifying relevant assessments and precursor skills and providing information on planning for small group support. Sporadic Gold Pages offer suggestions to support differentiation across a variety of topics and frequently refer teachers to Supporting All Readers: High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences, K–2 for additional small group lessons or to previous units for reinforcement opportunities. These resources offer flexible strategies to support instruction rather than fixed scaffolds tied to individual lessons, as the core lessons themselves provide limited embedded guidance for differentiation. Teachers must read the "Unit Essentials," study the Bend Blueprints, and reference Supporting All Readers to plan differentiated instruction. The materials include supplemental resources that offer explicit teacher guidance for differentiated instruction through scaffolded lessons and targeted activities for students who have not yet reached proficiency in grade-level content and skills. Supporting All Readers: High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences, K–2 provides comprehensive, fully scripted lessons that span kindergarten through grade 2 and allow teachers to select instruction based on students' individual needs. This resource guides teachers in using assessment data or classroom observation to plan responsive instruction during Work Time. For example, in "Progression 7: Alphabetic Knowledge," the materials support instructional planning by helping teachers interpret student behaviors and select letters for focused reinforcement. Teachers receive guidance on adjusting instruction and implementing supports for engagement such as magnetic letter centers and strategies to reinforce skills throughout the day. These lessons and activities provide structured routines and flexible scaffolds to support developing learners in building foundational literacy skills. In A Guide to the Reading Workshop, K–2, the section "Ensuring Access for All Learners" provides guidance for identifying student strengths and using them as entry points to address areas of need. For example, the materials advise teachers to offer audiobooks aligned to a student’s emotional maturity, alongside decodable texts, when a student demonstrates strong listening skills but is not yet decoding proficiently. The guidance presents overarching strategies for supporting students across kindergarten through grade 2.

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 materials include some embedded supports for vocabulary development. However, these are not consistently or systematically incorporated across lessons or units. Teachers most often introduce vocabulary when unfamiliar words arise naturally in the text—particularly in nonfiction units—rather than through structured pre-teaching or intentional routines. For example, in "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), Bend I, Session 7, the teacher introduces an anchor chart titled "Collect and Use Topic Vocabulary" to support students in acquiring and applying academic vocabulary related to nonfiction topics like volcanoes. In "Growing Knowledge Together" (Unit 5), Bend II, Session 6, the teacher models how to use context and visuals to determine the meaning of the word waste, which supports students in interpreting unfamiliar words during nonfiction reading. Some lessons include sidebars with teacher-facing guidance on introducing or reinforcing unfamiliar words. For example, in "Stepping Into the World of the Story" (Unit 4), Bend I, Session 3, a sidebar prompts the teacher to introduce and repeatedly use the word expression by modeling and defining it. In Bend II, Session 2 of the same unit, another sidebar recommends defining sophisticated words parenthetically during discussion to help students build vocabulary through exposure. In "Growing Knowledge Together" (Unit 5), Bend I, Session 1, the teacher is prompted to introduce the word entomologists and add it to a word wall to support understanding before reading about insects. The materials offer occasional exposure to academic vocabulary. In "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), Bend II, Session 3, the teacher introduces terms such as chronological order and cause and effect using an anchor chart and applies them to a nonfiction text. Although this technique supports background knowledge and comprehension, the lesson does not include structured vocabulary instruction or repeated practice with the terms. The materials do not include instruction or support for understanding figurative language or idioms. Overall, while the materials include occasional vocabulary scaffolds, they do not offer consistent pre-teaching or embedded support for academic or literary language. This limits students' exposure to and practice with grade-level vocabulary in a systematic way.

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 materials provide limited teacher guidance for differentiated instruction, enrichment, and extension activities for students who have demonstrated proficiency in grade-level content and skills. In A Guide to the Reading Workshop, K–2, the chapter "Ensuring Access" focuses primarily on supporting students who need additional help. While the section titled "Individualized Instruction" describes ways to scaffold learning for students not yet meeting grade-level expectations, it does not offer specific strategies or structured lessons to extend learning for students who have already demonstrated proficiency. The "Unit Essentials" sections at the start of each unit outline assessment expectations and precursor skills. These sections guide teachers in planning interventions based on prior unit data, but do not address how to enrich or extend instruction for advanced learners. Similarly, the small-group lessons, Blueprint pages, and Gold Pages embedded within the units focus almost exclusively on remediation. For example, in "Stepping into the World of the Story" (Unit 4), one Gold Page provides coaching guidance to help students with comprehending narrative texts. It includes prompts to support skills such as tracking the problem, predicting, inferring about characters, and growing bigger ideas about the text. However, it does not provide concrete, differentiated tasks or enrichment pathways for proficient readers. The materials allocate Work Time in each session for small-group instruction. However, these groups typically support struggling learners. The materials advise teachers to intervene with support during Work Time and refer to Supporting All Readers: High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences, K–2 as a resource. While this supplemental text contains a progression of scaffolded lessons that increase in complexity, the core program does not present these as enrichment opportunities for students who have mastered grade-level skills. When referencing this resource, the Gold Page in "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2) states, "If your students need support in addition to what’s offered in this unit, this page will help you to draw on your assessments and observations to plan responsive Work Time instruction." Although the guidance encourages teachers to look for signs that students may be ready to "skip ahead," it stops short of providing structured extension lessons or targeted enrichment activities. Overall, the materials prioritize intervention and support for learners who have not yet mastered grade-level content and skills, but do not offer systematic or intentional guidance for enriching or extending learning for students who have already demonstrated proficiency.

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.

Each session follows a consistent structure and includes a detailed teacher-facing narrative script. The materials provide explicit prompts to guide teachers in modeling and explaining the targeted concepts. For example, in "Stepping Into the World of the Story" (Unit 4), Bend II, Session 5, the provided teaching point states: "I want to teach you that when you are stepping into the world of the story, it helps to see the whole story in your mind—and that means thinking about where the characters are and noticing when they move from one place to another." The script then guides the teacher to model the strategy of envisioning the setting during a read-aloud, explicitly naming and describing specific details in the text that signal a location change. The materials also provide clear guidance to support teachers in modeling and explaining targeted skills and concepts through the Bend Blueprints of each unit. These overviews outline the essential learning targets and provide instructional support for lesson delivery. For example, in "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), Bend I, the Blueprint states, "In this Bend, you will reinforce the importance of approaching multisyllabic words methodically, part by part. This instruction is probably also front and center in your phonics curriculum, and in this unit, you will support transfer between phonics and reading, helping your students draw on their knowledge of phonics on the run as they read." The materials recommend supporting students with books at varying levels of complexity, which ensures selections remain within their zone of proximal development. To support modeling, the materials also explain, "To read multisyllabic words well, you will need to teach kids to analyze chunks, which they can then use when they break words like un/help/ful into syllables." The corresponding mini-lessons in this unit build on this guidance with scripted modeling language and demonstration examples, which ensures teachers have both the explicit prompts and guidance necessary to model and explain concepts effectively.

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

In each unit, teachers are provided with a structured and consistent instructional framework within each daily session. Lessons follow a gradual release model and incorporate whole-group instruction, guided practice, collaborative learning, and independent application. Within these portions of each session, the teacher engages students in various instructional strategies such as think-alouds, turn-and-talks, scaffolded instruction, opportunities for student discourse, and flexible grouping. For example, in "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), Bend I, Session 5, the lesson focuses on how readers read nonfiction texts to learn more. The teacher models the skill through a think-aloud and then offers students an opportunity to engage in student discourse as they turn and talk with a partner about the strategy. Midway through Work Time, the teacher transitions the class from independent work to partner work, having students share with a partner what they have learned from their independent reading of nonfiction texts. During independent time, the teacher also engages small groups in interactive practice to reinforce the day’s teaching point. This lesson reflects the broader structure found across the materials, where a range of instructional approaches are embedded consistently to support effective lesson delivery and active student engagement. At the beginning of each Bend, the "Key Skills and Blueprint Methods of the Bend" section outlines the instructional focus and provides detailed guidance to support lesson delivery. For example, in the guidance preceding Bend II of "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), teachers receive support for helping students build topic-specific vocabulary and develop cross-text synthesis. Daily lessons follow a consistent structure based on a gradual release model. Instructional approaches include whole-group modeling, think-alouds, student discourse, partner reading, and independent application. In Bend II, Session 1, the mini-lesson features a teacher think-aloud aligned to the teaching point, with sidebars that offer scaffolded suggestions such as using sticky notes to recall information from one text to support comprehension of another in a text set. Students engage in partner discussions during "Active Engagement" and work together to apply the strategy. During Share Time, the teacher models the lesson objective again through a think-aloud, and students are invited to contribute to the modeling through guided discussion. These embedded supports help teachers deliver lessons effectively using a range of instructional approaches.

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 Reading Workshop framework, described in A Guide to the Reading Workshop, K–2, outlines the consistent structure of each session. Each lesson follows this structure grounded in a gradual release model: teacher modeling during the Teach portion, guided and collaborative practice during Active Engagement, and independent or partner application during Work Time and Share Time. This overview offers detailed information to help teachers understand and implement the core components of the reading workshop model. Within each lesson, the teacher-facing narrative indicates when students are expected to work independently or with partners, providing direct scripting to support smooth facilitation and transitions. The lesson structure allows for repeated, scaffolded opportunities to practice skills across whole-group, small-group, partner, and individual contexts. For example, in "Becoming A Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), Bend II, Session 1, the teacher delivers a scripted lesson focused on envisioning to "bring the story to life." The lesson begins with the teacher prompting students to envision a lunchroom scenario and act it out with a partner. The teacher shares the teaching point that readers "use the picture and the words to bring the story to life" through envisioning. Students engage in guided practice with a demonstration text as the teacher models envisioning through a think-aloud while students act out the events. Next, students collaborate with a partner to envision and act out the next part of the story. During Work Time, students practice the skill independently with their own books. This structured routine provides daily opportunities for multiple types of practice with scripted guidance that supports student learning and promotes instructional effectiveness.

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 the Reading Workshop, K–2 includes a Q&A section titled "Students in the Early Stages of Language Acquisition," which offers general guidance for supporting EB students, known as Multilingual Language Learners (MLLs), in the program. The materials suggest strategies such as creating a welcoming environment, encouraging the use of multiple forms of communication, and forming partnerships or triads to support peer interaction. The guidance also recommends designating English-speaking students as classroom ambassadors to assist their peers. While these are helpful classroom practices, the materials do not provide linguistic accommodations aligned with specific levels of English language proficiency as defined by the ELPS. As a result, the guidance does not explicitly support students in progressing through increasingly sophisticated academic language across proficiency levels. In A Guide to the Reading Workshop, K–2, a chapter titled "Affirming and Supporting Multilingual Learners" notes that each "Unit Essentials" section includes an overview for EB learners, provides blue italicized suggestions throughout sessions that reference how instruction may support EBs, and offers occasional ideas for increasing accessibility. It also references some Work Time opportunities designed to target EBs, and promotes the use of translanguaging strategies to help students make meaning using their full linguistic skill set. However, these supports are not differentiated by proficiency level or aligned with academic language expectations outlined in the ELPS. Blue italicized sidebars in some mini-lessons and small group sessions offer targeted support for EB students. For example, in "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), Bend I, Session 1, the sidebar explains that EBs in the beginning stages of English development that were previously in triads in the prior unit might be ready to move into partnerships in this unit. During the Work Time portion of the session, there is a small group support for "Extending Oral Language of MLLs in Early Language Development as they Read to Find Fascinating Things to Talk About," which explains that teachers should encourage students to speak in their native language, ask students to orally label pictures in texts, ask yes-or-no questions to "give accessible ways to succeed," and to coach students to ask questions and extend each other’s ideas. While these embedded supports offer instructional suggestions for supporting EBs, the materials do not include guidance on providing linguistic accommodations for various levels of language proficiency as defined by the ELPS.

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

The materials include general guidance for supporting EB students, known as MLLs in the materials, but do not provide implementation strategies specific to state-approved bilingual or ESL program models. A Guide to the Reading Workshop, K–2 offers an overview of supports for MLLs, referencing instructional scaffolds such as italicized blue sidebars embedded in lesson scripts and targeted small group sessions during Work Time. The chapter also describes online preview videos in Spanish designed to help Spanish-speaking students anticipate the content of the mini-lesson, including unpacking key vocabulary and building background knowledge. The materials also lack alignment with the ELPS and do not provide differentiated implementation guidance based on bilingual or ESL program models. While the materials give broad guidance on ways to support EB students in the classroom—such as offering access to a multilingual classroom library, using visuals and gestures, encouraging partner work, conferring individually with EBs, and promoting language development through read-alouds—it lacks alignment to the structures, expectations, or instructional approaches outlined in state-approved bilingual or ESL program models. The materials do not include guidance to support teachers in implementing or establishing classroom routines and procedures specifically designed for EB students. Additionally, there is no alignment or reference to consistent practices found in bilingual or ESL programs or instructional frameworks that support the linguistic and academic development of EB students. There is no support for Dual Language instruction, transitional models, or ESL pull-out/co-teach frameworks. The materials do not offer differentiated implementation steps, timelines, or tools aligned to these program types, which is required for meeting the indicator.

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.

The materials include some embedded teacher guidance to support EB students, though this guidance primarily focuses only on increasing comprehension and building background knowledge through oral language. In "Building Growing Knowledge Together" (Unit 5), the "Unit Essentials" highlight opportunities to support EB students in the unit by, for example, providing oral sentence stems or frames, and supporting students’ language development through modeling, recasting, and extending. Throughout the units, blue italicized sidebars provide lesson-specific suggestions for supporting EB students. For instance, in "Growing Knowledge Together" (Unit 5), Bend I, Session 3, a sidebar encourages teachers to extend students’ language as they retell stories to increase comprehension. The teacher models using academic language and prompts students to echo the oral sentence stems and frames. Additionally, all units provide "Possible Coaching Moves" to support students with comprehension. Teachers engage in reading conferences with students and engage in oral discourse focused on a variety of topics such as finding text evidence and considering the author’s point of view in "Growing Knowledge Together" (Unit 5). Bend II of this unit provides coaching support for a book club with EB students that focuses on generating "more talk" to extend conversation and deepen understanding. Gold Pages such as the one in Bend II of "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3) also offer additional lessons to increase comprehension and build background knowledge, though these lessons are not specifically targeting EB students. The supplemental resource Supporting All Readers: High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences, K–2 includes a full progression dedicated to developing and expanding oral language for EB students, with separate lessons for early and intermediate proficiency levels. While the progression includes strategies to build background knowledge and comprehension—such as using wordless picture books, extending students’ language, and building on students’ diverse experiences and funds of knowledge—it places responsibility for vocabulary selection on the teacher and does not consistently target academic language development. Although some vocabulary-related guidance is provided (e.g., using gestures to reinforce word meaning), the materials do not offer systematic support for developing academic vocabulary or making cross-linguistic connections through oral and written discourse. Opportunities to increase comprehension and build background knowledge through written discourse are not systematically included.

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.

The materials include a partially sequenced progression of phonics instruction, with a stronger emphasis at the beginning of the year. In early units, instruction builds on foundational skills by reviewing and extending vowel teams, r-controlled vowels, and closed-syllable exceptions. Some lessons in Unit 1 introduce flexible word-solving strategies and decoding of multisyllabic words using common patterns. Middle units introduce syllable types, but do not consistently build from prior phonics instruction. Later units shift focus entirely to comprehension skills, and phonics instruction is largely absent. As a result, the phonics content lacks a consistently structured or cumulative progression across the full year. While the materials include some phonics instruction, it is not systematic or consistently embedded throughout the units. Instruction occurs intermittently, most often in small-group sessions or within Blueprints, and is not sustained across daily lessons. For example, in "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), only 1 of 18 mini-lessons includes explicit phonics instruction, and the rest focus on comprehension or fluency. In "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books"Unit 3), some minilessons reference syllable strategies for decoding, but these are not part of a systematic sequence and are not consistently reinforced. In "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), Bend I includes one focused session on decoding vowel team words, and Bend III offers four additional lessons on flexible word solving, vowel teams, r-controlled vowels, and closed syllable exceptions. These five lessons demonstrate explicit instruction with a logical progression of skills. However, the remaining 10 sessions in the unit shift away from phonics as the primary focus, limiting the sustained development of phonics instruction across the full unit. The Phonic Decoding Assessment is not used beyond Unit 2, and explicit phonics instruction is not present in Units 4 and 5. In "Meeting Characters and Learning Lessons" (Unit 5), only one of the 19 sessions addresses phonics directly—a single lesson focused on reading multisyllabic words part by part. While this lesson draws on earlier phonics concepts, it is not part of a broader instructional sequence. Overall, phonics instruction is minimal in later units and not consistently embedded, limiting the materials’ alignment to the expectations for systematic and sequenced phonics instruction.

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.

The materials include limited opportunities for direct and intentional phonics practice in isolation. In "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), five out of seventeen sessions provide isolated practice with sound-symbol correspondence skills. These opportunities are not ongoing or embedded across the entire unit. Even in sessions that feature a phonics focus, practice opportunities often lack explicit instruction. For example, in Bend I, Session 6, the teacher states, "When you want to read a syllable in a two-syllable word—say, robot—and you are not sure if the vowel is long or short, it can help to notice if the vowel is at the end of the syllable or if it is tucked between two consonants. If it is at the end of a syllable like in ro, it is usually long. If it is tucked between two consonants, it is usually short, like in bot." While this addresses sound-symbol correspondence, the instruction lacks explicit teaching on the syllabication rules that help a reader determine where to divide the syllable in a CVCVC word. As phonics instruction is present in fewer than half of the lessons across the unit, students’ opportunities to engage in ongoing, targeted phonics practice are limited. Unit Readers are included with the materials. However, these texts frequently introduce patterns that have not yet been taught in the program’s phonics sequence. For example, in "Word Detectives" (Unit 2), Bend II, Session 1, the materials guide the teacher in a lesson about CVCe words—for example, hope. The Unit Reader, "The Case of the Missing Cake," is used to demonstrate the reading process with the students. This text also includes words (e.g., missing) that include patterns such as inflectional endings and double consonants, which are not taught until later in the unit. This misalignment between the provided texts and the phonics scope and sequence limits the use of the texts as tools for intentional skill application and reinforcement, and students may be exposed to phonics patterns before they have received direct instruction. The materials do not provide grade-level decodable texts, but provide access to kindergarten and grade 1 decodable text through the online platform. The materials provide guidance on using running records to help identify "roughly right" leveled readers for students. In the "Assessments and Precursors" section of the "Unit Essentials" of "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), the materials state that if a student guesses at words rather than decoding them, teachers may direct the student toward decodable books. This section references additional information in the "Running Records Assessment" at the end of the unit. The assessment guidance states: "The challenge is that children benefit from a balanced reading diet. Some of the texts that our children read should be designed to allow them to draw on the phonics skills they’ve developed by that time—that is, these will be decodable texts. And some of the texts should lean on other scaffolds to help them read, as is true for many ‘leveled texts.’" This lack of access to decodable texts within the program and absence of specific guidance on how or when to integrate decodable readers limits opportunities for students to apply phonics skills systematically in connected text, which reduces intentional and consistent phonics reinforcement through authentic reading practice.

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

The materials include some sessions with guidance for delivering direct phonics instruction. However, explicit instruction with teacher modeling is inconsistent across units. In "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), phonics instruction sometimes appears in the whole-group mini-lesson, but in other cases it is included only in the small group component, which not all students may receive. When phonics instruction is present, it often lacks clear, direct teaching of phonics concepts and instead relies on teacher demonstration without explicit explanation. For example, in Bend II, Session 4, the stated objective is "try different strategies you know for solving tricky words." The teacher models with the word mantle and refers to an anchor chart that shows different strategies, such as keep digraphs together, break off endings, and break before consonant le. The teacher then gives students opportunities to solve tricky word parts in books with a partner. This session also includes a small group lesson where the teacher gives specific words and models breaking syllables apart to decode, but this session is only for a small group, and not all students will receive this instruction. Additionally, only two of the eighteen sessions in this unit include phonics instruction. As a result, the materials do not consistently provide daily, direct phonics instruction with teacher modeling. In "Becoming A Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), Bend III, Session 2, the teacher reviews the vowel team chart as a tool for decoding unknown words. The lesson includes a demonstration in which the teacher encounters the word grouchy, points to the chart, and says, "It spells an /ou/ sound, like cloud. Watch me try that." Although the teacher acknowledges earlier that ou can represent two different sounds, the lesson does not model how to flex between the two possibilities. Instead, the teacher identifies the correct sound and decodes the word without showing the decision-making process. While this lesson includes modeling of a phonics skill, it is one of only four phonics-focused sessions in the 17-session unit. The inconsistency in daily, explicit phonics instruction with modeling limits opportunities for students to receive systematic, skill-based instruction across the curriculum.

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

The materials do not include daily phonics instruction, and when explicit instruction is provided, it lacks consistent opportunities for guided practice with immediate or corrective feedback. In each session, following the Connection and Teaching portions of the mini-lesson, students typically engage with a partner during the "Active Engagement" section and then transition to independent practice during the Link. Although teachers are encouraged to take frequent observational notes, the materials do not provide structured guidance for offering timely or corrective feedback. Responsibility for addressing errors often shifts to peer partners, rather than being led by the teacher with intentional support or redirection. The sessions include guided instruction, where the teacher models a skill and students try it with a partner while the teacher circulates. "Possible Coaching Moves" are included in the sidebars of some of the sessions during guided practice time. For example, in "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), Bend II, Session 4, the sidebar offers prompts such as, "What strategy are you going to try first?", "What parts do you notice in the word?", and "Did that strategy work? If not, go back and try another one." While these moves support strategic thinking, they do not provide explicit guidance for offering immediate or corrective feedback on decoding errors. In "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), Bend III, Session 2, a lesson focused on using a vowel team chart to decode unknown words includes a guided practice activity in which the teacher pauses at a word with a vowel team and instructs partners to solve the word together. Teachers are not provided with direction to monitor student reading or deliver corrective feedback during this activity.

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

The materials consistently structure each mini-lesson to include a Teaching, Active Engagement, and Link component. During Active Engagement, students typically work collaboratively with a partner to apply the skill introduced during the Teaching portion, and during the Link, they are sent off to practice independently. For example, in "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), Bend II, Session 3, the teacher models a decoding strategy for multisyllabic words by using an anchor chart to demonstrate how to break words into parts. Students are given time to practice with a partner while the teacher circulates and offers coaching support with words such as temperature, puzzle, and edges. During the Link, the teacher reinforces the strategy by complimenting students for "breaking words between two consonants in the middle" and "breaking the endings," and then sends them to read nonfiction texts independently to apply the strategy. While this lesson offers both collaborative and independent practice with a specific phonics skill, such structured opportunities are not present in all sessions. As a result, while the materials include some lessons that incorporate phonics practice through partner and independent reading, these are not consistently embedded across daily instruction. The materials include some opportunities for students to practice phonics skills through collaborative learning and independent practice. However, these opportunities are not present in daily lessons. In "Growing Knowledge Together" (Unit 5), three out of nineteen sessions include activities that involve phonics practice either with a partner or independently. While these sessions provide a mix of collaborative and individual tasks, the practice is not consistent across the unit. For example, in Bend I, Session 6, the objective is for students to notice how rereading can help them learn more about a topic. Students work independently and then collaboratively with a partner to reread their notes and identify subtopics they want to explore further. While the lesson includes collaborative learning, it does not offer any opportunity for students to practice phonics skills—either independently or with a partner. Because phonics-focused practice is not sustained across the unit, the materials provide limited support for developing decoding skills through consistent, varied routines.

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

The materials provide occasional opportunities for phonics review. However, these opportunities are intermittent, with limited guidance, and inconsistently included across lessons.

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

The materials include practice opportunities that extend beyond phonics skills explicitly taught within the unit.

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

In "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), the "Unit Overview" outlines the available resources, including printable decodable texts from kindergarten and grade 1 materials in the online resources.

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

The materials infrequently include lessons with a clear phonics instructional focus that offer students opportunities to practice both in isolation and within decodable, connected text. When phonics instruction is present, it is often embedded within broader reading strategies and lacks alignment between the target skill and the accompanying student-facing texts. As a result, students have limited opportunities for cumulative decoding practice. For example, in "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), Bend I, the teacher provides instruction on reading multisyllabic words, reviewing phonics skills, and introducing strategies such as vowel counting, syllable division, and identifying vowel patterns like schwa. While this focus supports decoding longer words, the corresponding student texts are not controlled for phonics patterns. Students read trade books or self-selected texts from their book bins, many of which contain words with phonics patterns that have not yet been taught. Only one decodable text, "How to Be Brave: A Book for Dragons," is included in this unit. Though this book offers some alignment with decoding instruction, it is not part of a structured set of decodable texts and does not provide cumulative practice across the unit. In addition, students are expected to apply phonics strategies in uncontrolled texts without first engaging in isolated practice. For example, in "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), Bend I Session 5, students learn a new strategy—"counting vowels"—to divide words into syllables. While the teacher models the strategy using the word instead, students are then expected to apply it during independent reading with self-selected leveled books, rather than in decodable texts that reinforce the target skill. This pattern is consistent across the curriculum, where the lack of controlled, connected texts and limited opportunities for isolated practice undermine the effectiveness of the phonics instruction provided. Therefore, while the materials include instructional phonics content, they do not consistently pair that content with systematic opportunities to practice in both isolation and connected decodable texts.

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

The assessment tools included in the materials are developmentally appropriate and follow a clear progression from simpler to more complex tasks, reflecting the trajectory of foundational literacy skill development. In "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), students take the Phonic Decoding Assessment to review key skills learned in grade 1, including decoding words with vowel teams, r-controlled vowels, vowel digraphs, and diphthongs. Running Records are administered consistently throughout the entire year to evaluate students’ ability to decode within continuous texts. As the units progress, the Phonic Decoding Assessment increases in complexity, incorporating two- and three-syllable words. In "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), students complete a Nonfiction Reading Performance Assessment—a written, performance-based task that measures their ability to synthesize information and gather evidence from a nonfiction text read during a shared reading experience. This assessment is repeated in "Growing Knowledge Together" (Unit 5). In "Stepping into the World of the Story" (Unit 4), a parallel assessment focuses on literary texts, evaluating students’ ability to analyze a character’s development across a story, support their thinking with text-based evidence, and apply academic and literary vocabulary. These performance tasks expand the assessment scope beyond foundational skills and support a comprehensive view of reading development. These progressions support intentional skill development and allow teachers to assess student understanding along a continuum of literacy acquisition. These thoughtfully sequenced assessments support intentional skill development and allow teachers to monitor student progress along a continuum of literacy acquisition. The gradual shift from oral and decoding-based tasks to more complex written responses is developmentally appropriate, as it aligns with students’ growing cognitive, language, and writing abilities over the course of the school year.

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

The materials include unit summative assessments that measure students’ acquisition of phonics skills, and these assessments are referenced to inform small-group instruction. However, formal assessments are not embedded within the daily sessions to systematically measure students’ progress toward mastery of grade-level phonics expectations. This limits the ability to monitor skill development in real time within the instructional sequence. In the assessment guide at the end of each unit, the materials inconsistently recommend administering some assessments at both the beginning and end of the unit, while others are suggested to be used throughout or only at the end of the unit. Although re-administering the same assessment can provide an accurate measure of students’ acquisition of grade-level phonics, there is no guidance to ensure this is done systematically. Assessments are not scheduled at regular intervals and are not tied to specific student performance benchmarks. Instead, teachers are given broad discretion to assess whomever and whenever they feel it is appropriate. As a result, there is a lack of structure to ensure consistent, ongoing measurement of student progress throughout the unit. At the end of "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), students take the Phonic Decoding Assessment again, which includes decoding words of increasing complexity. For students who are not keeping pace with the majority of the class, the materials note that "the children whose decoding skills concern you will need your continued attention." However, there is no established schedule or structure for delivering assessments at regular intervals. This lack of consistency may lead to gaps in progress monitoring and missed opportunities for timely instructional adjustments. While the repeated use of the same assessment across multiple units supports accurate tracking of student growth and enables instructional decision-making based on consistent tools and procedures, the lack of a systematic progress monitoring plan limits the effectiveness of this approach.

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

The materials do not include a defined set of beginning-, middle-, and end-of-year assessments aligned to progress monitoring expectations. While some assessments recur across units, students only complete portions based on demonstrated mastery. For example, the Phonic Decoding Assessment is administered in Units 1–3, with students progressing through subsections only after achieving 80% accuracy on the previous one. This tool helps determine a student’s place along a phonics progression but does not serve as a screener or diagnostic that provides an overall skill level. Running Records are used throughout the year but are administered using texts at each student’s current level rather than standardized benchmark texts aligned to expected performance at specific points in the year. The materials include Unit Overviews that outline the instructional focus during Work Time. However, references to assessment are minimal and inconsistently embedded within daily or weekly instructional routines. For example, "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), informs the teacher that informal running records, phonic decoding, and "On-the-Run" fluency assessments will be given throughout the unit. These examples highlight informal assessment opportunities; they are sporadic and not part of a systematic progress monitoring framework. The lack of consistently embedded formative assessments limits teachers’ ability to monitor student progress in real time and make timely, data-informed instructional decisions. Additionally, the Unit Overviews do not reference the unit summative assessments, creating a further disconnect between instructional content, progress monitoring, and systematic assessment of student progress within the program.

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

The materials include data-management tools in the Assessment pages of each unit that allow teachers to document and track individual student progress in areas such as phonemic awareness, phonic decoding, high-frequency word knowledge, and reading levels. These tools are available on the program’s online platform for access and printing. Each tool provides an opportunity to track individual student progress through hard copy forms. The materials guide teachers to use assessment results to inform small-group instruction and provide coaching moves with scripted prompts to support struggling students. While the materials do not include explicit directions for how to accelerate instruction, each unit includes small-group Blueprints that offer options for both intervention and extension based on student performance. For example, the Assessment pages at the end of "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1) include the Phonic Decoding Assessment for words with vowel teams, r-controlled vowels, vowel digraphs, and diphthongs. The materials advise teachers to look at the students’ grade 1 records to determine a starting place in the Phonic Decoding Assessment, or to estimate the starting place if no records are available. This enables differentiated assessment administration based on each student’s current progress along the phonics continuum, which allows teachers to pinpoint individual progress and tailor instruction accordingly. In the following unit, "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), the Gold Pages provide targeted supports for students who have not yet mastered reading words with vowel teams, r-controlled vowels, vowel digraphs, and diphthongs. Teachers are directed to specific instructional progressions in Supporting All Readers: High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences, K–2 to guide responsive small-group planning and intervention based on the assessment data.

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

The materials do not include data management tools for tracking whole-class student progress or for analyzing patterns and trends across groups of students. While the unit assessment data-collection tools allow teachers to document individual student progress, they do not provide structures for aggregating or organizing whole-class data. For example, following "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), students are assessed on phonic decoding. The materials state, "In this unit, you will be teaching all of your students to decode multisyllabic words, so you will probably want to end the unit by ascertaining whether your instruction ‘stuck.’" However, no tools or guidance are provided to help teachers analyze patterns or to determine instructional needs based on class-wide performance data. In A Guide to the Reading Workshops, K–2, the chapter titled "Tracking Kids' Progress and Using Assessment to Support Instruction" encourages teachers to analyze class-wide trends and use that information to inform instruction. However, it offers no structured approach or tools for doing so. Instead, the materials suggest that teachers "keep experimenting until you find a system that works for you" and use observational notes to guide next steps with individuals, small groups, or the whole class. Without concrete tools or a consistent system, the burden of designing and managing whole-class data tracking falls entirely on the teacher.

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

The materials make recommendations for a suggested timeline for formal assessments at the end of each unit but do not provide specific guidance on the frequency or structure for progress monitoring. Instead, the responsibility is left to teacher discretion, with an emphasis on informal assessment to determine student strengths and needs. In A Guide to the Reading Workshops, K–2, teachers are encouraged to collaborate in developing an assessment timeline, with the guidance stating: "You will need to decide which assessments apply to your classroom and when it makes sense to conduct them. Many of the assessments we recommend are ongoing assessments that are spread out across time, while others might be given just a few times a year." While the materials provide opportunities for informal progress monitoring, they do not include systematic tools or protocols to guide teachers in tracking progress over time based on students’ strengths and needs. For example, in "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), after administering the Phonic Decoding Assessment, teachers are advised that "for children at earlier stages of development, continue to track their progress with phonic decoding." However, the materials do not provide specific guidance for determining the frequency of these assessments. Similarly, in "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), a Gold Page advises that "for students who are still working to secure previously taught high-frequency words, you will want to offer additional support." However, the materials do not provide specific guidance on how to monitor this progress over time or include tools to track students' acquisition of these words systematically. This lack of a structured progress-monitoring system may lead to inconsistent data collection and missed opportunities for timely instructional adjustments. In Supporting All Readers: High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences, K–2, the materials list the available assessment tools—such as Running Records, Reading Performance Assessments, and the Phonic Decoding Assessments—and note that teachers should refer to district guidance regarding additional tools to monitor reading progress. While general suggestions for "checking in" with students appear in the Gold Pages and Blueprint sections of the unit guides, there is no clear plan for how often to monitor progress or how to record and analyze that data over time. As a result, progress monitoring is inconsistent and largely reliant on teacher initiative, limiting the potential for data-informed instructional planning across the year.

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

The materials include lessons and resources intended to support accelerated instruction, though the focus leans more toward remediation than enrichment. While general guidance is provided for using small group instruction to address student needs, there are no structured pathways or explicit strategies for accelerating learning based on progress monitoring data. Teachers are encouraged to reference assessments to identify skill gaps, even those outside the current unit focus, but the materials lack specific guidance for linking data to targeted instructional resources. For example, in "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), the Gold Page in Bend I, Session 2 states "if your students need support in addition to what is offered in this unit, this page will help you draw on your assessments and observations to plan responsive work-time instruction, leaning on Supporting All Readers: High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences, K–2." While the suggested lessons address topics students may struggle with, they lack clear direction on how or when teachers should intervene in response to assessment data. As a result, while the materials encourage data-informed instruction, they do not consistently support teachers in using assessment data to drive targeted interventions or acceleration. Within the unit Blueprints, small-group lessons and coaching tips are provided. However, they are not consistently informed by progress monitoring data. For example, in "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), a Blueprint for using "Guided Reading" to support students in moving up levels of text complexity outlines a general framework and suggests ideas for text selection as Guided Reading books are not included in the program. The lessons span two sessions and offer possible instructional focuses, but they do not reference the use of assessment data to determine the focus, identify which students need support, or guide when to intervene. This inconsistency weakens the alignment between student need and instructional response.

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 instructional guidance for developing oracy, with daily opportunities for students to listen and speak in structured, purposeful ways. Across sessions, students participate in partner conversations, whole-group discussions, and shared reading routines designed to build a language-rich environment. The materials consistently incorporate modeling, guided practice, coaching, and independent practice to support students in developing oracy skills. For example, in "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), Bend I, Session 2, students practice supporting their reading partners by giving compliments and encouragement. The teacher models how to offer support during shared reading, and students engage in guided practice using anchor chart language to structure their responses. The work time and share time include explicit guidance for prompting and coaching students to listen attentively and respond with targeted, partner-based feedback. This lesson includes clear, explicit instruction to build oracy skills through listening, speaking, and partner collaboration. However, this instruction is not systematic; that is, it is not part of a deliberate, planned, and logically sequenced progression of oracy skills. Instead, oracy routines are embedded across lessons without a clear trajectory for skill development over time. In contrast, the materials do not provide explicit or systematic instruction in oral language through a variety of methods. While students have frequent opportunities to use oral language—such as discussing texts, responding to teacher questions, or retelling events—there is no direct instruction on the foundational components of oral language, including morphology, syntax, semantics, phonology, or pragmatics. These skills are neither named nor intentionally developed across sessions, and instruction is not structured or cumulative. For example, in "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), Bend II, Session 3, students engage in partner discussions about the characters in their book series, and a small group lesson includes prompts for multilingual learners to talk about the text. However, the teacher is not guided to provide explicit instruction on vocabulary development or sentence structure. Feedback responsibilities are typically placed on student partners, with limited teacher modeling or correction, and there is no emphasis on explicitly naming or reinforcing specific oral language skills. Ultimately, the program’s stance on oral language instruction is made explicit in A Guide to the Reading Workshop, K–2, which states that "nobody has to teach children the basic syntax or semantics of the language(s) they are raised with—they’re wired to pick it up." This philosophical position directly contradicts the expectation for explicit instruction in oral language development and confirms that the materials intentionally do not include direct teaching of essential language components like syntax or semantics.

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

The materials include opportunities for students to engage in both social and academic communication across different purposes and audiences. Students participate in daily partner and group interactions that are embedded into lesson structures across multiple units. In "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), Bend II, Session 1, students engage in a book club-style table conference to discuss shared texts, such as those from the Frog and Toad series. The teacher models how to talk about the text, including what to notice about the characters and how to share personal reactions. Later in the unit, during the celebration session, students form book circles to recommend favorite texts and explain why they enjoyed them. These activities support social communication through structured, purposeful dialogue with peers. In "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), Bend I, Session 2, the materials include structured opportunities for academic communication. Students share background knowledge on volcanoes with a partner, building on one another’s understanding as they prepare to read nonfiction texts. In Session 7 of the same unit, students collaborate to use "expert words" related to the topic in partner conversations, with teacher-modeled examples and sticky note supports. These lessons support academic dialogue through vocabulary development, collaborative thinking, and oral rehearsal of content. In "Growing Knowledge Together" (Unit 5), Bend II, Session 1, students engage in both academic and social communication through participation in newly formed insect research clubs. The teacher facilitates these conversations using an anchor chart and prompts that guide students to notice text features, ask "I wonder" questions, and plan how they will read and talk together. These collaborative routines provide consistent opportunities for academic discussion, such as identifying nonfiction text features, and social communication, such as sharing interests related to insects. Additionally, students build cooperation and interpersonal skills as they engage in student-directed decision-making, which expands the purpose of communication beyond simply sharing information. Across units, the materials embed routines such as partner reading, group discussions, and collaborative decision-making, which provides repeated opportunities for students to engage in oral communication for both social and academic purposes.

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)

Lessons follow a consistent structure that provides daily, authentic opportunities for students to listen actively, engage in discussion to understand information, and share their ideas. A Guide to the Reading Workshop, K–2 outlines a predictable lesson format used across all sessions: a mini-lesson, Active Engagement, Work Time, and Share Time. In each session, students listen as the teacher models a skill or strategy, apply the learning through guided discussion or independent practice, and reflect on their learning with peers or the class. These repeated structures promote purposeful listening and communication across different contexts and tasks. In "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), Bend II, Session 3, students participate in structured book club discussions. After listening to a teacher-modeled read-aloud focused on understanding a character, students engage in partner conversations, and share observations about the character’s physical traits, interests, and patterns of behavior. These interactions require students to listen carefully to both the text and each other in order to collaboratively build understanding. In "Growing Knowledge Together" (Unit 5), Bend II, Session 1, students participate in open-ended partner conversations to share their experiences and knowledge about insects before reading nonfiction texts. The teacher facilitates this dialogue by prompting students with questions such as, "What do you love about insects?" and "Where have you seen them?" After this social discussion, students examine the photographs and details in nonfiction texts to learn more, then share their observations with peers. Across all units, the materials embed routines that encourage students to listen attentively, engage in collaborative discussion, and share information with others. Although teachers frequently model questioning and encourage students to respond to prompts, the materials do not contain consistent opportunities for students to generate their own questions to understand information.

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

This 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)

This 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)

This 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).

This 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 include some phonics-related content. However, they do not provide an explicit and systematic sequence for introducing letter-sound relationships that supports student application in basic decoding and encoding. Phonics concepts are often embedded within broader reading strategies or small group work and are not consistently presented through direct instruction or systematic progression. For example, in "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), Bend I, Session 4, the mini-lesson focuses on reading words part by part, encouraging students to break words into chunks. Although digraphs and vowel teams are referenced, they are not explicitly introduced or taught, and no guided practice is provided to support mastery. The instruction assumes prior knowledge and does not offer a structured pathway for building new letter-sound relationships. Small group lessons in the same unit occasionally address vowel teams, but these lessons are not delivered to all students and are not part of a larger, systematic sequence. Throughout the units, encoding opportunities to apply letter-sound knowledge are minimal and inconsistently integrated. In "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), students engage in labeling and categorizing content-area words, but these tasks do not include explicit instruction on how to apply phonics knowledge in spelling. Even in units where writing tasks are present, encoding is not intentionally connected to letter-sound instruction. As a result, students are not routinely supported in transferring decoding strategies into writing. In "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), decoding instruction centers on multisyllabic words. While the final assessment includes a range of syllable types appropriate for second grade, the instruction throughout the unit does not build toward those expectations in a clear or coherent way. Only four out of seventeen lessons in this unit include direct instruction on letter-sound relationships, and most of those serve as review rather than introduction. For example, in Bend III, Session 1, a small group lesson supports students in noticing syllable chunks but lacks structured modeling of syllable types or decoding patterns. Across the units, the materials assume that students have received systematic instruction in letter-sound relationships through a separate phonics block. As a result, foundational phonics skills are reinforced but not taught explicitly within the reading workshop materials themselves. There is an absence of intentional sequence and a lack of explicit instruction in letter-sound relationships. While the materials offer occasional opportunities to review known patterns and apply them in isolated contexts, they do not provide explicit and systematic instruction in letter-sound relationships that supports consistent application to basic decoding and 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 do not provide teacher guidance for offering explanatory feedback based on common student errors and misconceptions. While some lessons prompt teachers to model decoding and support students in connecting phonemes to letters within words, this guidance is typically general in nature and lacks specificity around common decoding challenges. Gold Pages provide teachers with general prompts related to broad decoding strategies. "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), Bend III, Session 1 includes the following prompts: "Break off the ending. Read the word. Add the ending," or "Try the long and short sound for each vowel and think what makes sense." These moves encourage flexibility in decoding and are not tailored to specific letter-sound correspondences or tied to common student misunderstandings. Additionally, these coaching moves do not increase in complexity across the year. There is some attention to tricky vowel teams and decoding errors in "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), Bend III, Sessions 1 and 2, where the teacher explains that vowel teams like ou in cloud create new, less predictable sounds. This instruction introduces a potential decoding difficulty, but the materials do not go further by offering feedback language teachers can use to address typical student misconceptions such as overapplying long vowel rules or misidentifying irregular spellings, and focus on vowel flexing instead. In "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), the materials offer a small group lesson called "Four Ways to Work with Schwa" in Bend I, Session 3, but there is no instructional note reminding teachers of common misconceptions related to the schwa sound such as overgeneralizing it or confusing it with other unstressed vowels. Similarly, the unit includes sidebar coaching prompts like "Try the schwa sound for that vowel," but these are not consistently embedded across lessons and do not provide explanatory feedback to the student such as why the reader should try the schwa sound. Supporting All Readers: High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences, K–2 includes lessons that target specific phonics elements such as decoding CVC words through additive blending. However, these lessons do not equip teachers with recommended language for responding to typical misconceptions.

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 include some opportunities for students to develop and practice their understanding of letter-sound correspondence through decoding activities. Students are introduced to decoding one-syllable words beginning in "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), and multisyllable words in "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3). Sessions across all units provide instruction that supports students in developing and practicing their understanding of letter-sound correspondence to decode words in isolation. For example, in "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), Bend I, Session 4, students use word cards to practice decoding longer words part by part, focusing on noticing vowel sounds, digraphs, and endings. In "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), Bend I, Session 5, a small-group lesson provides whiteboard-based practice with syllables before students transition to applying the skill in a text of their choice. While these lessons support the development and practice of decoding in isolation, opportunities to apply those skills in decodable, connected text are limited and not systematically built across the program. Although How to Be Brave: A Book for Dragons provides a brief opportunity for connected text practice with phonics patterns like the schwa, it is the only decodable unit reader included in the program. The majority of student reading occurs with self-selected or trade texts, many of which include patterns not yet introduced, which limits targeted decoding application in connected text. In addition, the materials do not provide consistent opportunities for cumulative review. While occasional lessons are meant to review previous learning, structured, varied practice using previously taught decoding strategies is not included. For example, in "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), Bend I, Session 7, the teacher models reading a text and reviews the unit anchor chart with strategies to "Tackle Longer Words" (e.g., chop the word into syllables, keep blends and digraphs together, cut off the ending and read the base word), complimenting herself on the word-solving strategies she uses. Students then choose their own texts to read independently as they find their strengths as they "spy on themselves as readers." There is no explicit review in letter-sound correspondence, but instead a review on unit reading strategies as students identify the strategies they are using to read unknown words. This is the only anchor chart across all five units that focuses on decoding strategies. As a result, students are not regularly supported in revisiting and reinforcing letter-sound correspondences through intentional, scaffolded practice in either isolated words or connected decodable text.

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)

Phonological awareness instruction appears only in "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1) and is not sustained across subsequent units. This unit includes 5 to 10 minutes of daily phonological awareness extension activities designed to be delivered during whole-group instruction outside the reading workshop block. According to the "Unit Essentials" in "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), these activities are not directly tied to the daily mini-lesson but are designed to follow a research-based sequence supporting students’ foundational reading development across the unit. Many of the "Phonological Awareness Extensions" provide instruction through video format. Access to these videos was not provided, limiting visibility into their content. In "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), Bend I, Session 1, students engage in a series of listening games in which they identify vowel sounds, substitute vowels to create new words, and blend syllables to form compound words. In Session 2, the extensions increase in complexity, directing students to segment 4- and 5-phoneme words that include blends, digraphs, and short vowels. Additional tasks include manipulating onsets and rimes, identifying snap words using phonological cues, and building words using word ladders. By Session 3, students work with vowel teams and r-controlled vowels. These activities reflect a range of phonological tasks; however, the sequence does not consistently progress from larger units of sound (e.g., compound words or syllables) to smaller ones (e.g., phonemes), and complex skills sometimes appear before foundational ones are established. Additionally, the phonological awareness sequence does not directly align with grade 2 TEKS, and skill progression shifts in complexity from session to session without a clearly defined path. "Beginning with Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), the materials replace phonological awareness extensions with grammar or "Word Study Extensions." The "Unit Essentials" reference additional phonological awareness resources from previous grade levels available online, but these are not embedded in the core lessons, and digital access was not provided for review. As a result, there is no evidence of a systematic or continuous sequence of phonological awareness instruction beyond "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1). The materials do not offer sustained opportunities for students to develop skills in a way that builds progressively in complexity or aligns with the TEKS expectations for phonological awareness.

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)

The materials do not provide explicit instructional guidance paired with recommended explanatory feedback based on common student errors or misconceptions in phonological awareness. Phonological awareness extension activities reference videos intended to model instruction, but digital access to these videos is not provided, which limits visibility into the instructional delivery and feedback mechanisms. Within the printed materials, teacher guidance is minimal and does not include sample teacher language, coaching moves, or corrective prompts that address common misunderstandings. In "Becoming A Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), students engage in Phonological Awareness Extensions that incorporate a variety of activities. In Bend I, Session 2, students segment words with 4–5 phonemes. In Bend II, Session 1, students clap syllables in words and determine if the words have a long or short vowel sound. In Bend III, Session 1, students blend two-syllable words. Despite the range of skills practiced, the materials do not provide coaching moves or corrective feedback to help teachers respond to student errors. The supplemental resource Supporting All Readers K–2 includes a general overview of phonological awareness development and small-group lessons such as Progression 6, which outlines strategies like "Say it slowly" or "Slide across the sounds together." While these prompts support practice, they are not connected to particular student errors and are not embedded within the core lessons. One lesson includes an explanation of vowel types and usage but is not integrated into direct feedback for specific phonological awareness activities.

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)

The materials do not include consistent or sustained opportunities for students to develop, practice, or reinforce phonological awareness skills. While "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1) contains phonological awareness extension activities, these are limited to the first unit and do not appear in subsequent units. "Beginning in Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), the materials shift focus to grammar and Word Study Extensions, and phonological awareness instruction is no longer present in the core lessons. "Within Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), the materials incorporate some memory-building strategies—such as games, chants, and the use of charts—to support phonological awareness. For example, in Bend I, Session 7, students play a game called "Break It" to segment words by syllables and then blend syllables to form complete words. In Bend III, Session 1, students participate in a game called "Blend It, Do It" to blend two-syllable words, identify r-controlled vowels, and build words using onsets and rhymes. These activities provide isolated opportunities for practice, but they are not connected to a broader scope and sequence and not clearly aligned to the grade 2 phonological awareness TEKS, which focus on more advanced phoneme-level tasks such as manipulating phonemes in spoken words. Because phonological awareness instruction is not present beyond the first unit, the materials lack a cumulative review structure necessary for reinforcing and mastering foundational skills over time. Additionally, the limited instruction provided is not aligned to grade-level expectations outlined in the TEKS.

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)

The materials include some phonemic awareness activities in "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), but they do not follow a systematic instructional sequence across the year. Instruction often begins with complex manipulation tasks before students are adequately introduced to and provided practice with foundational skills such as phoneme isolation, blending, and segmenting. Additionally, phonemic awareness instruction does not extend beyond Unit 1, leaving no cumulative structure to reinforce and deepen these essential skills. In "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), Bend I, Session 1, students are asked to isolate medial vowels, substitute medial sounds, and blend syllables in compound words. In subsequent sessions, students are expected to segment words with 4–5 phonemes, manipulate onsets to form new words, and write words using vowel teams. By Session 5, students are substituting medial vowels again, and in Session 6, the focus abruptly shifts to clapping syllables. These instructional activities are not ordered in a way that builds progressively from simple to complex. For instance, medial phoneme substitution—a complex task—is introduced in the first lesson before students have received direct instruction or adequate practice with more basic phonemic awareness tasks like isolating and blending initial and final phonemes. Furthermore, phonemic awareness tasks are embedded within lessons as isolated activities and are typically interwoven with phonics and writing instruction, blurring the distinction between auditory/oral skill development and print-based tasks. This lack of clarity further undermines a systematic approach. By Bend II of "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), instruction increasingly shifts to work with syllables and writing words with vowel teams and r-controlled vowels. While these are valuable phonics skills, they are not phonemic awareness tasks. Importantly, after Unit 1, the phonological awareness extensions disappear entirely and are replaced by grammar-focused activities in the remaining units. For example, in "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), Bend I, Session 1, the focus is on sentence writing and comma use rather than continued phonemic awareness instruction. This abrupt shift leaves students without sustained opportunities to develop or refine phonemic awareness skills across the year. While some lessons within "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1) appear to move from segmenting to manipulation tasks (e.g., word ladders and sound substitutions), these examples are confined to that single unit. Because the materials do not provide a consistent, systematic sequence of phonemic awareness instruction across the full instructional year, and because foundational skills are not appropriately prioritized before more complex manipulation tasks are introduced, this indicator does not meet expectations.

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)

While phonemic awareness activities are included at the beginning of some lessons in "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), the materials lack explicit teacher guidance for delivering explanatory feedback that addresses common student errors or misconceptions. The instructional supports provided are general in nature and do not equip teachers with tools to respond to predictable phonemic awareness difficulties such as sound substitutions, omissions, or vowel confusions. For example, in "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), Bend II, Session 1, students spell and write words with long o vowel teams, clap syllables, and determine whether vowel sounds are long or short. While this provides practice in foundational skills, the materials do not offer guidance for how to correct predictable errors such as mishearing a vowel sound or miscounting syllables. Similarly, in Bend I, Session 7, students segment multisyllabic words by clapping syllables, but no corrective feedback or anticipatory guidance is provided if students fail to segment accurately or confuse syllables with phonemes. The Phonological Awareness Extensions that accompany "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1) include some explicit instruction for introducing or reinforcing phonemic awareness skills. However, these extensions are discontinued after Unit 1. As phonemic awareness instruction disappears from subsequent units, so does any opportunity for systematic feedback on phoneme-level errors. Additionally, the extensions reference video lessons, but because these digital materials are inaccessible, their content and potential guidance on student misconceptions cannot be evaluated. The written session descriptions offer only a general summary of the targeted skill (e.g., blending, segmenting, manipulating). As the video content cannot be evaluated, and the print materials do not include corrective feedback strategies, it is unclear whether or how common errors are addressed within the video instruction.

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 provide explicit guidance for connecting phonemic awareness skills to the alphabetic principle across the year. While "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1) includes phonological awareness extension activities that offer isolated opportunities to link phoneme-level tasks to spelling and reading, these connections are limited in scope and not sustained throughout subsequent units. As a result, students do not receive ongoing support for transitioning from oral language activities to basic decoding and encoding. In "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), Bend II, Session 3, students segment phonemes in words containing r-controlled vowels, spell the words, and use a vowel team anchor chart to support spelling with au and aw. While these types of tasks involve sound-symbol correspondence, they are confined to a single unit and appear only in the phonological awareness extension section. In "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), Bend III, Session 4, the teacher dictates words for students to write, then prompts them to read word parts and blend them into two-syllable words. Students reference a vowel team chart during the activity and work with word cards to form sentences. Though these tasks suggest some alignment between phonemic awareness and print, the instruction is not explicit in making that connection. The Phonological Awareness Extensions are no longer present after the initial unit, and the core materials shift toward fluency, comprehension, and writing. The lack of a consistent, cumulative sequence that links phonemic awareness to phonics instruction means that students are not systematically supported in applying oral language skills to decoding and encoding tasks.

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)

Opportunities to develop, practice, and reinforce phonemic awareness skills are primarily concentrated in "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1). This unit includes Phonological Awareness Extensions that incorporate a variety of instructional routines, such as segmenting and spelling words with r-controlled vowels, building words using vowel team charts, and manipulating phonemes through onset-rime tasks. For example, in Bend II, Session 1, students clap syllables, isolate vowel sounds, and write words with long and short vowels. However, these activities are not sustained beyond "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1). The core instructional sequence does not continue to integrate phonemic awareness development throughout the remainder of the year. Subsequent units shift focus toward fluency and comprehension, and phonemic awareness instruction largely disappears from the daily routines. As a result, students lack consistent, embedded opportunities to reinforce and extend phonemic awareness skills over time. While Supporting All Readers, High-Leverage Small Ground and Conferences, K–2 includes small group lessons and activities to support phonemic awareness—such as Elkonin box routines, word building with magnetic letters, and phoneme manipulation games—these lessons are optional and not part of the core program. Because they are not guaranteed to be used with all students, they do not ensure consistent review or access for the full class.

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 do not include a consistent, systematic sequence for introducing grade-level sound-spelling patterns as outlined in the TEKS. While some units offer focused instruction aligned with the expectations of the grade level, this instruction is not sustained across the year and is often supplemental to the core materials. In "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), the materials include lessons that review and extend previously taught sound-spelling patterns from grade 1. These include long and short vowel sounds, vowel teams, and r-controlled vowels, which are practiced through decoding and encoding activities. For example, in Bend III, Session 2, students work with word ladders containing r-controlled vowels and are introduced to more complex spellings such as eer, air, and ore. While this represents a clear progression, the instruction is limited in duration and scope. Beyond the first unit, the materials shift focus away from phonics instruction, and sound-spelling patterns are not introduced within a structured sequence. In "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), students begin applying decoding strategies to multisyllabic words, but these strategies are not explicitly taught through a systematic phonics progression. The materials also do not specify a consistent frequency, pacing, or dedicated block of time for phonics instruction. Instead, the program relies on the separate Units of Study in Phonics program to deliver systematic phonics instruction. As noted in the sidebars and unit overviews, phonics support within the core materials is often positioned as a supplement to what students are learning in the phonics block. This reliance results in missed opportunities to embed grade-level sound-spelling instruction consistently across the literacy lessons.

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)

The materials include teacher guidance to support explicit instruction of grade-level sound-spelling patterns. While the instruction is inconsistently embedded across the core materials, lessons that do focus on these skills provide clear modeling, guided practice, and support aligned to the instructional goals of the grade level. For example, in "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), Bend I, Session 3, the teacher models how to decode words with the schwa sound by using self-talk and demonstrating with words such as avoid. Students are then provided with opportunities to apply this decoding strategy in both guided and independent reading. The accompanying teacher script reinforces the instructional focus by prompting teachers to highlight how vowels can make long, short, or schwa sounds, providing direct support for multisyllabic word reading. The materials also offer explicit instruction through the supplemental resource Supporting All Readers: High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences, K–2. Progression 10 includes targeted instruction on decoding words with common prefixes and multisyllabic words with closed syllables. In Lesson 102, teachers guide students through words like unbox, unpin, and unclip to teach the prefix un-. In Lesson 104, teachers use word parts such as -ind, -ild, and -old to help students generate rhyming words and apply this knowledge while reading a connected text. Additionally, Lesson 99 supports decoding words with inflectional endings like -s and -ing, with teacher modeling and student practice in decoding and applying patterns to text.

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)

Materials include a variety of activities to develop and practice grade-level sound-spelling patterns. However, these skills are not consistently reinforced through cumulative review. For example, in "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), Bend I, Session 4, students practice writing words with inflectional endings such as -ing and -ed. During small-group work time, students also review vowel teams using a Vowel Team Chart to read words, identify vowel teams, and associate them with common sound-spelling patterns. These activities support initial development and practice but are not revisited in later sessions, which limits opportunities for cumulative reinforcement. Similarly, in "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), Bend III, Session 2, students are introduced to vowel teams such as ou, ow, oo, ew, oe, oy, aw, au, and igh. The teacher models decoding words with these vowel teams and encourages students to notice them during partner and independent reading. Each group receives a copy of a vowel team chart to support decoding. While the lesson includes direct instruction and varied engagement, the patterns are not systematically reviewed across the unit or subsequent instruction. Supporting All Readers: High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences, K–2 also offers small-group lessons that provide a range of activities for practicing sound-spelling patterns. For instance, in Progression 10, Lesson 106, students work with multisyllabic words by unscrambling syllables and reading them in connected text. In Lesson 110, students review open and closed syllables and apply this knowledge while reading texts with a partner. In Lesson 99, students decode words with inflectional endings such as -s, -ing, and -ed through card activities and then read connected texts like "Fish in a Funk." Although these lessons help reinforce taught skills, they are designed to be optional and are not embedded into the core sequence. As a result, they do not ensure cumulative review unless a teacher deliberately integrates them.

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 include some activities and resources to support students in decoding words with taught sound-spelling patterns in isolation. However, opportunities for encoding are limited and inconsistent. The core curriculum includes only one decodable text across the entire year, and decoding practice is primarily embedded in trade books that are not controlled for phonics. For example, in "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), Bend I, Session 4, students decode one-syllable and multisyllabic words such as longest and snacks using word cards and targeted instruction in breaking words into parts. While this lesson supports decoding in isolation, there is no decodable shared text for students to apply the skill during whole-group instruction. Instead, students read individual book box texts, many of which are nonfiction or trade texts not controlled for phonics patterns. In the same session, a small group reads the book Jellyfish, which includes multisyllabic words, but this connected text is not provided in the materials and is not used with all students. Students are not prompted to write or spell words using the taught patterns. In "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), decoding instruction focuses on flexible word solving in the context of trade texts like Volcanoes, which include challenging words such as temperature and puzzle. These texts are not decodable, decoding practice in isolation is not provided, and students are not asked to encode the taught syllable patterns. Similarly, in "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), the Bend I small group lesson includes a decoding task where students unscramble syllables written on note cards to build words such as fantastic. This activity supports multisyllabic word reading in isolation but does not extend into connected text or encoding practice. Students are encouraged to read a passage of their choice afterward, but no decodable or phonics-aligned passage is provided, and the lesson is not part of whole-group instruction. While the materials include multiple examples of decoding activities in isolation, decoding opportunities with connected decodable text and encoding opportunities are rare and not systematically integrated. Although supplemental lessons in Supporting All Readers: High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences, K–2 occasionally offer encoding practice, these lessons are not embedded in core instruction and are intended for small groups based on assessed need, which means not all students receive this instruction. In the core materials, encoding is typically not connected to taught decoding skills, and students have few opportunities to apply phonics patterns in writing tasks.

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 for introducing both regular and irregular high-frequency words. In each unit, the Gold Pages provide a list of high-frequency words separated into two categories: decodable (regular) words and irregular or temporarily irregular words. For example, in "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), Bend I, the Gold Pages recommend teaching regular high-frequency words such as first, girl, when, went, ate, and see, alongside irregular or temporarily irregular words such as said, they, where, friend, your, and two. In "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), Bend I, the Gold Page continues the sequence with decodable words like better, follow, happen, and different, along with irregular high-frequency words such as answer, special, goes, and does. These lists build in complexity over time and are aligned with phonics patterns introduced in each unit, which demonstrates a consistent and intentional sequence. While the Gold Pages include systematically sequenced word lists to support instruction, the high-frequency word instruction is not embedded into the core mini-lessons themselves. Instead, the Gold Pages provide suggested word lists and point to optional supports like small-group lessons. The materials reference aligned support from the separate Units of Study in Phonics program, which includes lessons designed to support instruction for the identified high-frequency words. For example, the Gold Page in "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2) points to Unit 2 of the phonics series, Big Words Take Big Resolve: Tackling Multisyllabic Words for additional instruction. However, this phonics program is not included with the reading materials. Teachers are expected to introduce the unit’s high-frequency words at appropriate times, based on student need and classroom context. In this way, the program relies heavily on teacher discretion to determine when and how to incorporate high-frequency word instruction into daily lessons.

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 do not consistently include teacher guidance for explicit (direct) instruction in decoding and encoding regular or irregular high-frequency words. Although the Gold Pages provide a systematically sequenced list of high-frequency words across units, these words are not regularly accompanied by scripted, embedded lessons that offer clear modeling or instructional routines within core sessions. Instead, decisions about how and when to introduce or reinforce these words are left to teacher discretion. For example, in "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), the Gold Pages list decodable and irregular high-frequency words such as said, they, where, first, your, with, was, and very. However, there is no direct, embedded teacher guidance within the mini-lessons to support decoding or encoding these specific words. Bend III of the unit includes one small-group lesson focused on the irregular words would, could, and should, where students practice oral segmentation, connect sounds to letters, write the words, and apply them in connected text. This lesson supports both decoding and encoding but represents an isolated instructional moment rather than a consistent routine across the unit. The materials reference the Supporting All Readers: High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences, K–2 supplemental guide, which includes a routine for teaching high-frequency words using sample words like is. Lesson 114 models how to highlight irregular features (e.g., the /z/ sound in is spelled with s), helping students focus on the "heart part" of a word. While this resource supports explicit instruction in principle, it is not directly tied to the specific high-frequency words listed in the Gold Pages for each unit. Teachers are expected to generalize the routine independently without scripted lessons aligned to the program’s scope and sequence. In "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), the Gold Pages list irregular and temporarily irregular words such as themselves, really, before, excited, old, favorite, several, and again. The materials suggest that these words will be introduced in the corresponding phonics unit (Word Builders: Construction, Demolition, and Vowel Power), but there is no embedded, direct instruction in the reading mini-lessons for decoding or encoding these words. Additionally, the program references "Building Block High-Frequency Word" videos as instructional resources. However, access to these videos was not provided for review, so their instructional quality and level of explicitness could not be verified.

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)

The materials provide a variety of activities and resources that support students in developing and practicing decoding and encoding both regular and irregular high-frequency words. Across units, the Gold Pages, Bend Blueprints, and small group lessons offer targeted instructional routines. For example, in "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), Bend I, Session 3, students practice decoding "Fry Instant Phrases" to increase fluency by reading known high-frequency words, including regular words such as when, get, and like and irregular words such as two, there, and what. In Bend III, Session 4, the small group lesson "Reviewing Irregular High-Frequency Words" targets the words would, could, and should. Students segment the words orally, connect phonemes to graphemes, and encode the words using whiteboards. They are then prompted to find these words during independent reading. Similar small group routines appear in other units and optional lessons. Additional support comes from the Supporting All Readers: High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences, K–2 supplemental guide, which offers flexible small group lessons aligned to high-frequency word instruction in Progression 11. These lessons include a range of practice opportunities such as segmenting sounds, writing words in various formats, playing word games, and searching for high-frequency words in text. Lesson 121, for example, includes explicit guidance for decoding, encoding, and applying high-frequency word knowledge during independent reading. Students study a word by matching sounds to spelling, writing the word, rereading it, and then applying the skill during independent reading by searching for snap words in texts. However, while materials provide ample opportunities for development and initial practice, they do not include structured tools or embedded systems for cumulative review. Teachers are expected to determine how and when to revisit previously taught words, and references to ongoing review are general rather than systematic. For example, in "Stepping into the World of the Story" (Unit 4), the Gold Page states: "Your students have been reviewing the high-frequency words taught this year. Continue to support your children’s familiarity with these words so they automatize them." The materials then describe the new words that will be taught in the unit, with no continued guidance on reinforcing previously taught words. As a result, while students engage with high-frequency words across the year, the materials do not ensure consistent reinforcement or cumulative practice over time.

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)

The materials provide some activities for reading and writing high-frequency words in isolation. However, they do not offer consistent opportunities to read and write these words in connected text. In "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), Bend III, Session 4, a small group lesson titled "Reviewing Irregular High-Frequency Words" guides students to orally segment the words would, could, and should, connect phonemes to graphemes, and write the words on whiteboards. Students then search for these words in their independent reading. As students have agency in text-selection, there is no guarantee that any taught high-frequency words will appear in any given student text. Even though this lesson supports isolated decoding and encoding, it does not provide a connected text or structured writing task for students to apply these words in context. Similar patterns are seen across all units. In "Supporting All Readers: High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences, K–2," Progression 11 includes 13 small group lessons that use strategies such as Elkonin boxes and shared writing to support decoding and encoding. For example, Lesson 116 engages students in shared writing to create a pattern book featuring high-frequency words, supporting application in connected text. Lesson 123 prompts students to read words in isolation and then in a teacher-selected connected text. However, these lessons are supplemental and optional, and require teachers to choose the words and texts.

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 include a systematic sequence for introducing syllable types or syllable division principles as outlined in the TEKS. While some lessons reference longer or multisyllabic words, the materials do not consistently introduce, name, or build knowledge of specific syllable types in a defined order. In "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), Bend I, students are introduced to strategies for reading longer words through generalized approaches such as "chunking" and using the "We Can Read Any Word: Solve It" anchor chart. While the teacher models word-solving strategies with examples such as brushing, the instruction does not explicitly name the syllable types present or introduce a structured sequence of syllable type concepts. The instruction does not link concepts across lessons in a way that reflects a sequenced plan for building understanding of syllable types. The materials reference Supporting All Readers: High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences, K–2 as a supplemental resource. Lessons within this resource, such as those in Progressions 9 and 10, address open and closed syllables and vowel patterns. However, these lessons are not organized into a systematic instructional sequence and are not embedded in the core whole-group instruction. Throughout the units, the Gold Pages provide flexible teacher prompts to support decoding of multisyllabic words. These include cues such as "Break off the ending," "Look for a little word inside," and "Keep digraphs together," but they do not identify specific syllable types or present systematic guidance aligned with syllable division principles. Across multiple units, including "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), Bend I, Session 6, teacher guidance acknowledges the existence of different syllable types but states that some are not emphasized in whole-group instruction due to their variability. Instead, instruction on syllable types is recommended for small groups on an as-needed basis. Because the materials do not present syllable types or syllable division principles in a structured, sequential manner across the year, they do not reflect a systematic approach aligned with the grade 2 TEKS.

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 to provide explicit instruction for applying knowledge of syllable types and syllable division principles to decode and encode multisyllabic words. In "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1, Bend I, Session 4), the teacher models how to break the word brushing into parts using the "We Can Read Any Word: Solve It" anchor chart. However, the lesson does not reference syllable types or explain how syllable structure impacts vowel sounds or spelling. Across the unit, related decoding and encoding support is limited to suggestions in the Gold Pages or small-group lessons that address general decoding strategies without introducing syllable rules or terminology. In "Becoming Experts" (Unit 2), Bend II, Session 4, the materials offer coaching prompts for students encountering unfamiliar multisyllabic words such as encouraging students to "read the word part by part" or "break off common endings." These strategies are not accompanied by instruction on syllable types (e.g., open, closed, vowel team) or explicit modeling of syllable division principles (e.g., VC/CV, V/CV). As a result, students are not taught how to decode or encode based on formal syllable knowledge. In "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), Bend I, small group lessons prompt students to identify vowels and break words into parts. However, there is no reference to formal syllable division patterns or instruction in how to apply them. Session 6 includes a Q&A that addresses open and closed syllables but advises that other syllable types are not included in whole-group instruction. As a result, instruction in syllable types and division principles remains limited to optional small-group settings and is not explicitly taught or reinforced across the core instructional sequence. The Supporting All Readers: High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences, K–2 supplemental resource includes Progression 10, which introduces decoding strategies for multisyllabic words. In Lesson 103, the teacher models decoding the word robot by using vowel placement to determine syllable types. In Lesson 107, students are guided to count vowels and draw lines to break words into parts. While these lessons suggest some connection to syllable type and division principles, they are not embedded in core instruction. Encoding strategies based on syllable knowledge are not addressed. Although students work with grade-level appropriate multisyllabic words, the materials do not include the explicit instruction and accompanying teacher guidance necessary to help students understand how syllable types function in decoding and encoding, as outlined in the Grade 2 TEKS.

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)

The materials do not include a variety of activities or resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce decoding and encoding of one-syllable or multisyllabic words using knowledge of syllable types or syllable division principles. While occasional lessons prompt students to clap syllables, underline vowels, or break apart words, these routines are not connected to explicit instruction in syllable types (e.g., closed, open, VCe), or division patterns (e.g., VC/CV, V/CV). For example, in "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), Bend I, students unscramble syllable parts to form words like fantastic or snapdragon and are guided to "try it until it sounds right," rather than apply consistent decoding strategies. In another session, the teacher models writing the word remember syllable by syllable and supports students in writing words such as calendar, hibernate, and volcanic in parts. Although these lessons provide practice with word parts, the instruction is not tied to explicit teaching of syllable structure and its application to decoding and encoding. The Supporting All Readers: High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences K–2 resource includes a small number of lessons targeting decoding of multisyllabic words, but these lessons are limited in scope and are not embedded within the core sequence. For example, in Lesson 103 of Progression 10, students receive general guidance to break words into parts based on vowel placement, which may signal a short or long vowel sound. However, this instruction does not include systematic naming or application of syllable types or rules for encoding. The anchor chart "Tips on Big Long Words" also presents general chunking strategies such as "look for starting or ending parts" or "try reading the word another way," but it does not include explicit reference to syllable division principles. Across materials, there is no plan for cumulative review of previously taught decoding and encoding strategies tied to syllable types or division rules, and structured activities to reinforce these skills over time are not present.

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 include opportunities for students to decode and encode one-syllable and multisyllabic words. However, the instruction is not explicitly grounded in knowledge of syllable types or syllable division principles. While students encounter words with multiple syllables across units, the decoding strategies presented rely on generalized methods such as identifying word parts or trying different pronunciations until the word "sounds right." In "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), Bend I, the Blueprint and small-group lessons encourage students to analyze longer words by breaking them into syllables and whisper-reading each part, but they do not define syllables, teach syllable types (e.g., open, closed, VCe), or introduce division patterns (e.g., VC/CV). Coaching prompts such as "Are there any endings to break off?" or "Try it again" guide students through trial-and-error decoding strategies, not explicit instruction. Although some anchor charts and small-group lessons encourage students to look for vowel teams or silent e, these features are not connected to syllable-type instruction or reinforced through cumulative routines. The materials do not name or define syllable types, and students are not taught how syllable structure influences vowel sounds or decoding choices. Because syllable types are not explicitly taught, the materials do not provide targeted practice with decoding and encoding that build conceptual understanding or allow for cumulative review. The materials lack structured word lists or decodable connected texts designed to support application of syllable type knowledge in isolation or context. While students engage with words containing vowel teams or inflectional endings, they do not learn to classify words by syllable type (e.g., closed, open, vowel-consonant-e) or apply this knowledge during reading or spelling tasks. Additionally, the materials do not include a cumulative review sequence to reinforce skills related to syllable types. As a result, the materials do not include a variety of activities or resources to support decoding and encoding of one-syllable or multisyllabic words using syllable type knowledge and syllable division principles in isolation or connected text.

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

While the materials include limited instruction related to grade-level morphemes, they do not present a systematic sequence for introducing them as outlined in the TEKS. Instructional guidance related to morphemes appears intermittently and primarily focuses on decoding common word endings such as -s, -ing, and -ed. For example, in "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1, Bend I, Session 4), students are taught to look for common endings to chunk and decode words, but the lesson does not explicitly address the meaning of these affixes or provide morpheme-level instruction. The Gold Pages throughout the materials occasionally reference small-group lessons from Supporting All Readers: High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences K–2 to support students with decoding word endings. In Progression 10, Lesson 100 offers decoding practice with -ed, including the three different sounds it may represent. However, these lessons do not include explicit instruction on morpheme meaning or a structured approach to morphological awareness. While some anchor charts and Word Study Extensions introduce prefixes like un-, dis-, and re- and their meanings in later units such as "Stepping Into the World of the Story" (Unit 4), these lessons are not part of a coherent, systematically sequenced plan. Instead, the materials shift responsibility to students to independently analyze affixes, limiting structured, cumulative morphological instruction. Because morphemes are not consistently introduced, named, or taught in a logical progression, the materials do not provide a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level morphemes as required by the TEKS.

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)

The materials do not provide consistent teacher guidance for delivering explicit instruction that supports recognition of common morphemes and the use of their meanings to aid decoding, encoding, and reading comprehension. For example, in "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3), the teacher prompts students to check for familiar word endings (e.g., "Check for an ending that you know. Does that help you read the word?"), and focuses on chunking affixes to aid word-reading accuracy. However, these prompts do not include direct instruction on the meanings of affixes or connect morphology to comprehension or spelling. Instruction on morphemes is mostly limited to decoding, without attention to applying morphological knowledge for broader literacy development. Explicit morphological instruction is absent from core whole-group lessons in the first three units. Morphological instruction emerges primarily in "Stepping Into the World of the Story" (Unit 4) Word Study Extensions. Here, lessons introduce prefixes such as un-, dis-, and re- along with their meanings, and students practice generating prefixed words, writing them, and defining their meanings. Supplemental lessons recommended in "Growing Knowledge Together" (Unit 5) and Supporting All Readers: High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences K–2 include some explicit instruction on suffixes -s, -ing, -ed, and -y, primarily focusing on decoding and chunking. However, opportunities for attaching meaning to these affixes and encoding practice are minimal, and these lessons are small-group and not embedded in core instruction. The Gold Pages reference small-group lessons from Supporting All Readers: High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences K–2 that address decoding common endings such as Lesson 100 on the three sounds of -ed. These lessons support decoding practice but lack explicit guidance for teaching morpheme meanings or applying morphological knowledge to encoding or comprehension. While Lesson 102 briefly mentions the meaning of the prefix un- and how it can help students understand words, this example is not representative of consistent or systematic instruction. Overall, the materials offer some teacher guidance focused on decoding words with common affixes but lack consistent, explicit instruction for recognizing morphemes and leveraging their meanings to support decoding, encoding, and reading comprehension as outlined in the TEKS.

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 do not provide a variety of activities or resources for students to develop, practice, or reinforce grade-level morphological skills, including through cumulative review. While some lessons encourage students to decode words with common affixes, the primary focus is on decoding accuracy rather than on building morphological awareness or applying morpheme meanings to support encoding or comprehension. In "Becoming a Big Kid Reader" (Unit 1), students are encouraged to look for common endings such as -s, -ing, and -ed as a decoding strategy, but instruction does not address the meanings of these affixes or their grammatical functions. There are no embedded opportunities for students to develop, practice, or reinforce morphological skills or to apply morpheme knowledge to encoding or comprehension. Across the materials, affixes are typically introduced through teacher modeling and brief oral guided practice but without explicit instruction on their meaning or impact on word structure and function. Students are not provided with activities to develop, practice, or reinforce grade-level morphological skills in this format. This approach limits students’ exposure to morphology as a meaningful system and constrains their ability to build word awareness. The Gold Pages across the units reference small-group lessons from Supporting All Readers K–2, including Progression 10 lessons such as Lesson 100, which focuses on decoding the three sounds of -ed and provides practice reading words with -ed endings in isolation and connected text. Lesson 102 briefly addresses the meaning of the prefix un-, illustrating how meaning can support word understanding. However, these explicit morphology lessons are limited in number and scope and do not represent ongoing or cumulative review opportunities. Though supplemental lessons offer some targeted activities such as decoding word endings with word cards, oral guidance, and practice in text, these opportunities lack cumulative review and are not embedded consistently within the core lessons.

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 provide some activities that support decoding words with common affixes. However, they lack a sufficient variety of structured opportunities for students to both decode and encode morphemes in isolation and in decodable connected text. While the program includes a few small-group lessons that introduce common affixes such as -s, -ing, -ed, -y, and un-, these are not embedded within the core instructional sequence and may not be accessed by all students. Additionally, the lessons prioritize decoding practice and provide little to no explicit instruction on affix meaning or grammatical function, and encoding opportunities with morphemes are largely absent. "Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books" (Unit 3) is the first time that affixes are mentioned in the materials. All instruction related to affixes in this unit are focused only on decoding (e.g., coaching moves). In "Stepping into the World of the Story" (Unit 4), six Word Study Extensions address affixes with activities such as word building and word hunts. The "Unit Essentials" explains that Word Study Extensions are not meant to be taught during the reading workshop block. It states, "While we’ve included extensions at the end of most sessions that we imagine you might teach alongside the unit, you will want to align your word study instruction with the needs of your students." Therefore, these Word Study Extensions may or may not be included in the teacher’s instructional plan. "Growing Knowledge Together" (Unit 5), Bend II, Session 7 provides instructional guidance on affixes. The materials state that as the teacher engages in a vocabulary small group lesson, "we suggest you make a point to introduce new words with affixes." The materials go on to say, "State standards vary in which prefixes and suffixes they recommend introducing to second-graders." A list of words with affixes that students will encounter in the unit texts are included. No additional instructional guidance or lessons are provided for affix instruction and practice in this unit. The Supporting All Readers: High-Leverage Small Groups and Conferences, K–2 resource includes several lessons in Progression 10 that incorporate morphemes in isolated and connected text practice. For example, Lesson 99 introduces -s and -ing endings, Lesson 101 addresses -y, and Lesson 102 introduces the prefix un- with a definition ("not") and includes short connected texts. While these lessons do offer affix practice in multiple contexts, the instruction is inconsistent, lacks cumulative review, and is not explicitly integrated into core lesson plans. Most significantly, none of the lessons include encoding activities that require students to construct words using morphemes either in isolation or in context.