American Reading Company Grade 3

Evaluation for 2.1
Materials include high-quality texts for ELAR instruction and cover a range of student interests.

The materials include a diverse variety of well-crafted and high-quality texts produced by experts in various disciplines. The texts cover a wide range of student interests about science, natural disasters, fairy tales, and humor.

Examples include but are not limited to:

The nonfiction text Wild Weather: Lightning by Lorraine Jean Hopping, contains vivid illustrations, strong content (myths/legends and science), and scientific vocabulary.

The contemporary text, Tornadoes by Catherine Chambers, offers a structure that explicitly supports connections between ideas and offers an entry point into the topic for readers who may require simple structure and prose.

Happily Ever After? by Drew Falchetta is a fractured fairytale providing students a different and engaging take on well-known children's literature.

If the Shoe Fits and Other Glass Slipper Stories from Around the World continues the fractured fairytale theme by introducing six versions of the Cinderella story, each accompanied by a short nonfiction companion piece describing the time period or setting of the specific version. Written by McKinley Baker, F. Isabel Campoy, Gina Cline, Traci Dibble, Drew Falchetta, Liv Sun, and Tori Sun, this engaging text offers illustrations and vocabulary that will be of interest to the Grade 3 reader.

In the Whale (Andrew Lost #6) by J. C. Greenburg, is a piece of children's literature containing humorous fictional elements during a tour of undersea phenomena.

*NOTE Texts included for the IMQE review of the Grade 3 ARC CORE materials are typical of what is included with the units. However, should a Core Text become unavailable or if a district wishes to customize the Core Text selections, ARC will collaborate with the district and provide a title meeting the same criteria of those evaluated in the submission. ARC will work to ensure all selections follow district-specific criteria and meet the district standards for high-quality texts.

Evaluation for 2.2
Materials include a variety of text types and genres across content that meet the requirements of the TEKS for each grade level.

The materials incorporate a variety of text types and genres, but lack exposure to drama, a key text type outlined in the standards. Within the units, the materials provide opportunities to engage with literary texts such as poetry, novels, fairy tales, and folklore, and informational texts such as newspapers articles, historical non-fiction, and argument. Across all genres, print and graphic features are abundant.

Examples of literary texts include but are not limited to:

Dinothesaurus: Prehistoric Poems and Paintings by Douglas Florian (poetry)
The Boy who Cried Wolf by Aesop (folktale)
Weather: Poems for all Seasons by Lee Bennett Hopkins (poetry)
I Survived Katrina by Lauren Tarshis (contemporary realistic fiction)
If the Shoe Fits and Other Glass Slipper Stories from Around the World edited by Gina Zorzi Cline (fairy tales)
In the Whale (Andrew Lost #6) by J. C. Greenburg (adventure novel)

Examples of informational texts include but are not limited to:

It's a Feudal, Feudal World: A Different Medieval History by Stephen Shapiro (historical non- fiction)
Can it Rain Cats and Dogs? by Melvin & Gilda Berger (argumentative)
“In Galveston, Thousands Ignore Evacuation Order” by Wall Street Journal Staff (informational article)
“What is Culture?” by Bobbie Kalman (argumentative)
Save the Ocean by Sara Murphy (informational)

Examples of print and graphical features include but are not limited to:

In Unit 1, the author of Did Dinosaurs Have Feathers? uses italicized text for the proper names of dinosaurs.

In Unit 2, the core text Weather and Climate incorporates print and graphic features such as maps, charts, graphs, and diagrams.

In Unit 3, the editor of If the Shoe Fits and Other Glass Slipper Stories from Around the World uses a timeline to represent “Cinderella” tales from different countries throughout history.

In Unit 4, the authors use a variety of charts, tables, photos, drawings, and headings to draw attention to the subject matter.

Evaluation for 2.3
Texts are appropriately challenging and are at an appropriate level of complexity to support students at their grade level.

ARC uses the IRLA leveling system to describe the complexity of anchor texts, classroom leveled libraries, and core novels used in the curriculum. The introduction to every unit includes information on the process of how texts are selected by quality, complexity, and quantitative levels. “All of the titles below have been leveled using the IRLA leveling system. This system combines a quantitative analysis (using Lexile, AR, and any other such systems available for the text) with a by-hand qualitative analysis. All texts are evaluated with both quantitative and hands-on qualitative measures because of the types of complexity challenges a computer cannot evaluate, such as poetic language, extended metaphor, assumed background knowledge, and complex themes.” This evaluation process successfully ensures all text used in the curriculum is of high quality and appropriate complexity.

Examples include but are not limited to:

Tornadoes by Catherine Chambers

• Description of Text: Not Provided
• IRLA Text Complexity Level: 3rd (Wt)
• Quantitative: 530L (2nd-3rd)
• Qualitative: Lexile is an adequate measure of the difficulty of the text because:
  • Purpose/Structure: Middle Low. Purpose is implied, but easy to identify. Organization contains explicit connections between ideas.
  • Language: Middle low. Conventionality is contemporary. Some discipline-specific and academic language is not clearly supported by the text and increases the complexity (e.g., moist, funnel, narrow area).
  • Knowledge Demands: Low. Text requires only everyday knowledge, including basic weather words (e.g., storm clouds, wind, thunderstorms).

Save the Ocean by Sara Murphy and Traci Dibble

• Description of Text: The inclusion of “8th-grade Science Challenges” and “Debate It!” argument sections raises the complexity of this text. However, the way the text breaks down complex science content into clear chapters and sections and uses text features and analogies (e.g., “…the pressure could feel like there were two cars parked on your big toe”) to make content more accessible/relatable makes this text appropriate for 4th grade students.
• IRLA Text Complexity Level: 4th Grade (Bk)
• Quantitative: Not Provided
• Qualitative: ARC’s qualitative analysis places this text at the 4th grade level because:
  • Purpose/Structure: Moderately Complex. The purpose of the text is straightforward, and scientific content is heavily supported by text features (e.g., charts, graphs, maps) and images. More complex scientific content is interspersed throughout, but is not essential to understanding the text.
  • Language: Moderately Complex. The text over all uses simple sentence structures. Discipline-specific and academic vocabulary is typically defined in the text, or supported by illustrations.
  • Knowledge Demands: Moderately Complex. The text requires discipline-specific content knowledge related to oceans, animals, plants, and basic chemistry concepts, which presents a challenge to readers.

*NOTE Texts included for the IMQE review of the Grade 3 ARC CORE materials are typical of what is included with the units. However, should a Core Text become unavailable or if a district wishes to customize the Core Text selections, ARC will collaborate with the district and provide a title meeting the same criteria of those evaluated in the submission. ARC will work to ensure all selections follow district-specific criteria and meet the district standards for high-quality texts.

Evaluation for 3.a.1
Materials contain questions and tasks that support students in analyzing and integrating knowledge, ideas, themes, and connections within and across texts.

The questions and tasks within the material engage students in analyzing and integrating knowledge, ideas, themes, and connections within and across texts. The tasks incorporate complex elements of the text through discussion and writing. Additionally, lessons focused on “big ideas” grow conceptual knowledge. Questions and tasks also require text-specific references and integration of multiple standards.

Examples include but are not limited to:

Throughout Units One through Four, students engage daily in a “Read, Write, and Discuss Complex Text” activity. Students discuss (in pairs or small groups) “anything and everything” about the text they just read. The materials provide guiding questions to target big ideas, themes, and details about the text.

In Unit 1, the material includes text-specific or text-dependent questions such as, “What is happening so far in this story? How do you know?” Also, after the teacher reviews the concept of nonliteral/figurative language, students are instructed to find examples of such from their own speech. While working in small groups or pairs, students answer a series of questions to focus their attention on setting across texts. Examples include: “What is the setting of Core Novel #2? What do you notice so far about the settings of the books in this series? What about the setting has stayed the same? What has changed?”

In Unit 2, a passage is read to introduce the unit’s theme of weather. Working in partners, students share and discuss what confirms or contradicts their prior knowledge on the topic. During Readers’ Workshop, the teacher checks for understanding and asks questions like, “What’s the central idea of the text you are reading? What are the key details? Is this an example of informational writing?”

In Unit 3, students make connections to other texts as they engage in group discussions asking them to make generalizations across the plots of traditional tales and the overall architecture of problems/solutions typically found in this genre.

In Unit 4, the materials include a list of “Additional Standards & Literary Analysis” to integrate multiple standards into the lesson. Areas of questioning include argument, text structure, text vocabulary, and comparing and synthesizing across the text. Students also make connections to the world by activating their prior knowledge about marine life and then applying this knowledge to the world around them. Students also read for 15-30 minutes independently and share the most interesting thing they learned, using text evidence to support the answer.

Evaluation for 3.a.2
Materials contain questions and tasks that require students to analyze the language, key ideas, details, craft, and structure of individual texts.

The materials require students to consistently analyze the literary and textual elements of text, to develop deep understandings of text, and apply the knowledge to their own writing. Students thoroughly analyze the author’s choice of setting and types of conflict, including determining how the author’s choice propels the plot forward. In addition, the materials include evidence of students studying the author’s use of language.

Examples include but are not limited to:

In Unit 1, students find examples of nonliteral/figurative language in text and discuss why they think the author chooses to use those phrases specifically. Later in the unit, discussion prompts ask students to compare setting across two texts from the same author. An example question asks, “what do you predict will always be the same/always be different about the settings across books in this series?” This question allows readers to analyze the repetitive structure of a series and scaffold their understanding in new books within that series.

In Unit 2, the material incorporates a question about the author’s use of language to express an idea about the power of lightning. Further questioning around the author’s word choice asks, “what do you think it means?” and “what questions do you have based on the author’s description?” Later in the unit, while using a rubric to evaluate informational texts, the students are asked, “What did you notice about the author’s word choices? What effect did it have for you?” and “Would you want to imitate it in your own writing?”

In Unit 3, the materials include tasks and questions that prompt students to analyze how an author uses conflict and resolution to develop themes in their work. A graphic organizer titled, “Types of Conflict” allows students to organize and chart various traditional tales told across different cultures. Later in the unit, the material guides students to analyze tall tales and the use of hyperbole, “How does the hyperbole contributes to the author’s theme?”

In Unit 4, the teacher models using a short selection from the core or anchor texts. She then asks the student to answer the following question with their partners/groups: “What does the author want me, as the reader, to think, feel, learn, or do? What evidence in the text supports your thinking?” Later in the unit, students complete a writing prompt comparing two authors’ purposes for writing, using text evidence from the readings in the unit.

Evaluation for 3.a.3
Materials include a cohesive, year-long plan for students to interact with and build key academic vocabulary in and across texts.

The instructional materials support students’ academic vocabulary development through vocabulary-rich language texts, the delineation of content-specific unit vocabulary on the Research Cards, and strategies taught through the IRLA Toolkit. As students encounter unknown academic and technical vocabulary within a text, they use a “drop-in” words technique, followed by quick explanations from the teacher. Additional strategies to support grappling with unknown vocabulary are also provided. Within a unit, students receive repeated exposure to vocabulary in the context of reading and writing tasks by finding academic and technical vocabulary words in their text and transferring the words into their writing tasks. Multiple sidebars address vocabulary and share explanations for how to choose words. Scaffolds and supports are also provided for the teacher to differentiate vocabulary instruction for various learners.

Examples include but are not limited to:

Throughout the ARC Literacy Lab unit, there are IRLA Home Practice Cards and Literature Vocabulary Cards that provide student support for word attack strategies. Skills cards are provided throughout the year (for each reading level), as well as Flexible Phonics cards, Vocabulary and Language cards, and Academic Vocabulary cards, For upper reading levels, there are Literary and Rhetorical Vocabulary guides and practice sheets to further support understanding.

In Unit 1, students are taught the three tiers of vocabulary. Tier 1 is everyday language with everyday words we use. Tier 2 consists of academic vocabulary mostly used in writing. Tier 3 is technical vocabulary used mostly in text/discussions. The students are instructed to read the core novel Dinosaurs Before Dark (Chapters 7-8), recognize academic vocabulary, and then determine its meaning. The activity consists of categorizing words as technical or academic and then using context clues to infer the meaning. In Accountable Talk, students explain how they determined the meaning of words from the reading. Students also set up a vocabulary journal to keep track of interesting words they come across as they read. This journal is meant for students to maintain and then use as they write throughout the year. There is also an article for teachers, “Which Words Do I Teach and How?”, which will assist teachers in planning effective vocabulary instruction. The article mentions that lower income students will learn Tier 1 (everyday words) at a different rate and later time, thus slowing their vocabulary development. It suggests that these students may need to be prepared in advance, especially when dealing with abstract words, words with multiple meanings, and words that might be out of their realm of experience.

In Unit 2, students are presented with skill cards containing a variety of levels of vocabulary words pertaining to the unit (i.e. blizzards, clouds, droughts, dust storm, flood, fog, hail, heat wave, hurricane, ice, lightning, rain, rainbow, snow, sleet, storm, thunder, tornado, wind). Students examine the new vocabulary they find and try to generate synonyms for those words. After students read the core text, the class discusses technical vocabulary and how to understand it better. The class adds words to the Class Glossary to then use throughout the unit. Students also explore how authors use specific technical and academic words to improve their writing and explain key science concepts. Teachers are reminded of key concepts in literacy development and are instructed to be aware of students with interrupted formal education because they might not be familiar with certain academic vocabulary. Teachers are instructed to investigate what “unsuspected” word knowledge those students might have in other areas.

Unit 3 suggests teachers encourage students to add to the glossary. The writing rubric reflects points given for using academic and domain specific vocabulary accurately and effectively. Students independently examine selected mentor texts, identifying strong Tier 2 and Tier 3 words (academic and technical vocabulary). The students then discuss the prompt, “Who found an especially effective example of a powerful noun/verb/descriptor/ technical vocabulary?” The teacher models using key vocabulary for students who are struggling. As the students gain proficiency, the teacher gradually releases responsibility.

In Unit 4, teachers determine the high-leverage vocabulary terms that students need to be taught to be successful. Teachers give points to each student for correctly using one of the vocabulary words from the class’ vocabulary chart. Students also complete academic vocabulary work, where they discuss questions based on the text, define words, explain meanings, give examples of technical vocabulary, and cite the best piece of text evidence. The Rubric for a Proficient Argument requires students to use domain-specific vocabulary to demonstrate expertise in their written opinion piece.

Evaluation for 3.a.4
Materials include a clearly defined plan to support and hold students accountable as they engage in independent reading.

The teacher and student materials contain plans and supports for students to engage in daily sustained independent reading. The curriculum includes a 100 Book Challenge which supports reading engagement and accountability for students. The materials provide guidance and support for students in the selection of texts, including formative assessment of reading levels across the year. Students complete in-school and at home reading logs and track titles, genres, and levels of books they read.

Examples include but are not limited to:

The Instructional Framework includes information on how to encourage independent reading through the 100 Book Challenge Library. This challenge is supported throughout the materials with interest surveys, reading logs, and additional guidance on how to launch the challenge. The materials also provide suggestions for “Hook Books,” which are high interest texts, classified by level and genre, that the teacher can recommend to students to get them “hooked” on reading.

The 100 Book Challenge provides daily practice in independent reading as students self-select books to read independently. In Unit 1, the curriculum provides a step-by-step, scripted lesson plan to assist teachers in instructing students on how to select books for independent reading through the Readers’ Workshop. The students choose a selection of books from different levels and complete a Levels Check Sheet to determine good fit (“Comfort Zone”) books. The students are encouraged to choose books they can read and understand independently for 15 minutes without stopping. During daily independent reading, students apply a focus or goal to the self- selected text. After the independent reading time, students share with a partner regarding the focus.

The Instructional Framework provides schedules with options for 120 minute or 75- to 90- minute class periods. Both schedules include daily independent reading each day, with the weekly goal of students reading five hours total. During independent reading in each unit, the teacher conducts individual formative assessment conferences to build reading relationships and identify student reading levels using the IRLA/eIRLA. The materials provide an at home reading log sheet that tracks book titles, levels, and pages read, with space for a signature by a “home coach.” Students are encouraged to read independently for 30 minutes daily as homework. The material suggests incentives for students who are on track with their Home Reading Log. Incentive ideas are varied and include items such as food, lunch with the teacher, and extra recess.

Evaluation for 3.b.1
Materials provide support for students to develop composition skills across multiple text types for a variety of purposes and audiences.

The materials provide support for students to develop composition skills across multiple text types for a variety of purposes and audiences. Students write literary, informational, and argumentative texts, including opportunities to practice correspondence writing. Writing is embedded throughout the school year and is practiced almost daily to build students’ stamina and capabilities. Students write for multiple purposes that address multiple audiences. Opportunities to publish writing are provided as students engage in daily writing with quick writes and prompts that pertain directly to a passage or text.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

In Unit 1, students chose one thing they care about and write an argument to convince someone the thing is important. Students include at least three relevant details or examples to prove their point. Writers are reminded to consider not only the topic, but the point they are trying to make to their readers. Students also write an informational text about something on which they are already an expert. This expertise could include a sport, a game, an author or book series, instructions for pet care, or instructions for making something. Students include relevant facts to demonstrate their expertise. In addition, students choose one thing/person they care about, and write a narrative explaining the role it/that person plays in their life. With each of these text types, students share what they wrote with a partner. The response of their peers allows them to gain insight into how their words are understood by others. Throughout the unit, students design a new Magic Tree House story. Students move from pre-plan to publishing their own story by using available rubrics, thinking maps, and graphic organizers after reading similar texts for inspiration. With the Rubric for a Proficient Narrative Piece as a guide, students develop and enhance their stories with appropriate word choice and figurative language. At the end of the unit, students finish the editing process for a fictional narrative (a Magic Tree House story) and ready it for publication.

In Unit 2, students draft an informational text to answer Research Question #1: “Define and describe a weather phenomenon.” After they plan the basic structure of their book, they begin the process of turning their notes into paragraphs. The teacher instructs students to think about the most important thing for the reader to know about the research question and reminds students that this central idea will become their topic sentence. The students then review their notes, decide on the central idea they want to communicate, and compose using the selected narrator, voice, and perspective. The teacher also reviews multimodal texts with the option to focus on poetry, performance (e.g. drama), and/or digital texts (e.g., websites). The teacher introduces definitions for poetry, line, line break, stanzas, and figurative language, and then reads a poem. Students create their own multimodal text inspired by the poem and mimic visuals, word choice, and organization.

In Unit 3, while learning and reading about traditional tales, students also read, analyze, and write about these tales throughout the unit. Writing specifically includes constructed responses, a literary essay, and a published piece on the retelling of a traditional tale. Using the Rubric for Proficient Textual Analysis, students use their written claim about two traditional tales (position/point of view of the authors) to develop a compelling written argument using textual evidence as support. The purpose is to write and think as a “head author” in their class so that their peers can learn from each other through their own textual experiences.

In Unit 4, students participate in an argumentative writing project. Students use the following writing cards: drafting synopsis, argument organizing structures, a revising card sorted by dates, editing, elements of argument, and a card with Toulmin’s Argument Framework. During the unit, students play a game to practice the structures of debate. Students are organized into two teams to debate two sides of an argument. Team One composes a letter presenting their side of the argument and presents it to Team Two. Team Two composes a letter as a counterargument. Both teams compose letters for the rebuttal/counter rebuttal process respectively. The teacher also models persuasive letters by identifying an appropriate audience, choosing arguments to appeal, appropriate tone and language, the elements of a letter (salutation, body, close, signature), and formatting. The students write letters to a newspaper, politician, or organization meant to support an opinion or argument.

Evaluation for 3.b.2
Most written tasks require students to use clear and concise information and well- defended text-supported claims to demonstrate the knowledge gained through analysis and synthesis of texts.

The materials provide multiple opportunities for students to analyze and synthesize evidence to support their opinions and claims as they produce a variety of written text. It also contains written tasks requiring students to use clear and concise information and well-defended text- supported claims to demonstrate cross-curricular knowledge gained through analysis and synthesis of texts. During reading and listening of complex texts, students demonstrate what they have learned through written response tasks. The use of rubrics, graphic organizers, constructed responses, literary essays, and published writing support students as they express comprehension of texts.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

In Unit 1, students work in pairs to write answers to text discussion questions. Questions include “What happened in this section?” and “How do you know?”. Within this work, students must refer to the text to explain what happened and what they found surprising, funny, or confusing.

In Unit 2, students learn key science concepts through a combination of shared reading, direct instruction, and writing activities related to a research question about weather and climate. Students use the Central Ideas and Key Details Thinking Map to write about a text they read during their research. To complete the organizer, students must identify key details and the central idea of the text. Students then use this information to answer research questions.

In Unit 3, students analyze texts to support their claims. Questions include, “What generalizations can you make about conflicts in Traditional Tales? What makes you think that?” and “How does an author use conflict/resolution to communicate a theme? What quote best supports your thinking?” Students also complete the Types of Conflict graphic organizer for independent texts they read. Students use a blank copy of the organizer as a tool to brainstorm “conflict” ideas for their own written retelling of a traditional tale.

In Unit 4, after five weeks of research, students write a well-researched opinion piece on their chosen topic. Rubrics require students provide relevant and sufficient evidence from their research and cite credible sources to support their claim. The final rubric also measures argument, organization, and language of the students’ writing.

Evaluation for 3.b.3
Over the course of the year, composition convention skills are applied in increasingly complex contexts, with opportunities for students to publish their writing.

The materials approach the teaching of grammar, punctuation, and their usage through in-context practice. Specifically, the usage of grammar and punctuation occurs throughout the drafting, revising, and editing stages of the writing process across all units. The materials ask teachers to set an editing focus based on their observations of common errors in students' conventions, grammar, and/or punctuation. Students are provided an editing checklist to use for editing their draft. Peer editing of essays occurs as well. The writing cards included with each unit contain a conventions check card and an editing checklist to be used during the Writing Workshop by students. The Editing Checklist and Conventions Check card are available to students as they work through the writing process each week. The materials do not teach grammar, punctuation, and their usage out of context, rather the teacher must design instruction based on the editing focus identified in their students writing.

Examples include but are not limited to:

In Unit 1, a lesson introduces the idea of planning, as students begin a fictional writing piece based on the Magic Tree House series. Teachers model the planning process, specifically what will stay the same across their story compared to the Magic Tree House series and jotting down big ideas that could occur. The materials include an editing handout for students to use when editing their own writing. This resource supports students as they analyze their word usage, sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, quotations, apostrophes, and verb agreements. This resource supports the third-grade standard focus on usage of appropriate conventions when writing compositions. The materials also include a lesson focused on “Why Edit?” The lesson starts with the value of conventions and allows the teacher to select a writing process to teach from the resources found in the materials.

In Unit 2, students participate in formal and informal writing with the formal writing following the complete writing process. The project for the unit is informational writing. The students complete the entire process of drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. The students write on unit-specific topics and are provided with writing cards to use throughout the process. The writing cards provide steps to complete each area of the process, as well as tips for better writing. In addition to the writing cards, students are provided with graphic organizers to help in the writing process. Information for the writing process is found through the research students conduct on their chosen topic. Materials present lessons for the teacher to model during this process, including laying out their research book, converting notes into a central idea and key details, and writing their opening and closing sentences. In this unit, students work on the editing process with a heavy focus on grammar. The students focus on capitalization, spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Students review nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. This practice is found within each section of the writing process.

In Unit 3, the teacher models how to revise a theme statement written the previous day. Specific think aloud questions include “could someone argue against it?” and “if not, what can I change to make it more debatable?” The materials also outline the final editing process. The teacher is instructed to use the editing card and work through the conventions step by step. Teachers coach and observe during this time to give students ample opportunity to practice and apply conventions in their writing piece. The teacher also uses a student volunteer to model the editing process. If appropriate, nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions are reviewed. The students then read their work out loud to their partners and work together to improve the grammar of their pieces.

In Unit 4, students complete the entire process of drafting, revising, editing, and publishing for argumentative writing. Students organize their writing based on the chosen unit topics of research. Writing cards assist the student in the process with guides and graphic organizers. Students apply grammar conventions to the entire writing process. The students model, practice, and apply point of view, verb agreement, singular, plural, common and proper nouns, subjective, objective, possessive pronouns, past, present and future verbs, comparative and superlative adjectives, adverbs, prepositions and prepositional phrases.

Evaluation for 3.b.4
Materials include practice for students to write legibly in cursive. (Grades 3-5 only)

The materials reviewed do not include practice for students to write legibly in cursive. There is no evidence of handwriting instruction in the curriculum.

Evaluation for 3.c.1
Materials support students’ listening and speaking about texts.

The materials provide ample opportunities for students to speak and listen about texts. The material’s use of Accountable Talk intentionally grows oracy and literacy skills throughout the school year. Through assigned tasks involving speaking and listening, students are able to demonstrate knowledge about, and comprehension of, a wide variety of texts gained through deep reading and shared experiences.

Examples include but are not limited to:

In Unit 1, students discuss the core novel, Dinosaurs Before Dark, with listening partners. Students are required to answer a series of questions about the text to demonstrate the knowledge they have gained. The questions range from basic comprehension, “What happened in this section?”, to vocabulary, “What is a Triceratops? What in the text supports your answer?”, to reader response, “Do you like this story yet? Why or why not?” The materials also incorporate a Read/Write/Discuss activity about the core text. Questions can be utilized in a group or partner discussion. Questions such as, “How do you think Jack learns/changes from the beginning to the end of the story? What in the text supports your answer? Does Annie grow or change? What makes you say that?”, require text-supported claims and demonstrate a responder's understanding of the text.

In Unit 2, students participate in “Partner Sharing,” in which students spend one minute discussing how the authors use facts, definitions, and other key details to teach the reader about central ideas and topics. The groups then volunteer responses to a series of text-related questions to show comprehension of what they read. The materials also include opportunities for students to speak and listen in pairs and small groups based on a core text read-aloud. First, students confirm prior knowledge. Next, students share where the core text contradicted their prior knowledge. Last, students discuss and build new knowledge from the reading of the core text. Each step gives ample opportunity for individual students to listen and speak about the core text.

In Unit 3, the materials incorporate Discussion Groups on Literary Analysis. Within these groups, students refer to the traditional tale they are reading as a class and discuss questions such as, “What did you notice about the story elements in this traditional tale?”, “How might this be important to understanding Traditional Tales? Why?”, and “Are there any generalizations you can draw (based on this book and others you’ve read) about [a story element] in this genre?” Students work in discussion groups to analyze the mentor text and answer knowledge, analysis, evaluation, and application questions based on the text.

In Unit 4, after reading from research books based on the core text, partners share with each other the most interesting fact they learned and read a piece of text evidence that supports their claim. During a Partner Share, students have one minute each to share the most interesting and the most important things they learned and justify the difference. Guiding questions require students to think deeply about the text: “What reasoning and piece of text evidence support your claim?” and “What makes it important?” Students also complete a Close Read of a complex text provided by the teacher on the topic of Marine Life. The material states, “students read a passage from the text and engage in intellectual discourse around this topic.” Specific prompts provided in the materials to support the discussion include: “What is the author saying in the article? How do you know? Why does it matter in connection with our research of Marine Life?”

Evaluation for 3.c.2
Materials engage students in productive teamwork and in student-led discussions, in both formal and informal settings.

The materials engage students in productive teamwork and student-led discussions, in both formal and informal settings. Through Accountable Talk, the students are exposed to daily guided practice of contextualized oracy skills. Protocols are included for all students to engage in productive teamwork and student-led discussions, in both formal and informal settings. Students are provided multiple opportunities to give organized performances and presentations. Through organized presentations, students participate in active listening skills.

Examples include but are not limited to:

In Unit 1, the teacher models the routine and procedures for the daily Partner Share, including the following steps: The students decide who goes first, that person raises their hand, partner #1 has 60 seconds to speak on topic, the teacher calls time, the students switch, the teacher observes to ensure all students are included in the intellectual conversation, and, after the time is up, the teacher invites a few students to share with the class. The teacher also explains the protocol for students to participate in Accountable Talk. Students are instructed to share which books they liked best and use text evidence to support their choice and opinion. The teacher models the partner share and instructs students to speak coherently about the topic, make eye contact, speak at an acceptable and understandable rate, enunciate, and use appropriate conventions of language. The protocol for partner share includes directions such as always face your partner, only allow one person to speak at a time, and be an active listener.

In Unit 2, the teacher specifies the format students use to talk to their peers about what they are reading. In the Post Practice Rubric, students introduce the text or topic they read, give their opinion on the most interesting or surprising thing they learned, and provide evidence to support their claim. Audience and questioning protocols are also reviewed with the students.

In Unit 3 (Traditional Tales & World Cultures), Week 1, Day 5, students use the Story Elements in Traditional Tales and Character Types in Traditional Tales graphic organizers as they learn about story elements. Students share what they wrote with their partners and engage in a group discussion about the elements discussed for the week. Further, students continue to gather evidence so they can write an opinion about the most important story element in Traditional Tales. During Partner Share protocol, students share about their book and genre, then provide text evidence to support their opinion about what they feel is the most important element in defining Traditional Tales. As a whole group, students share and highlight new learning to add to their graphic organizers. These activities support TEK 3.9A.

In Unit 3, the materials include a debate on which supporting character was most important within the traditional tale they had read as a class. Materials provide four different debate type structures such as, I Couldn’t Disagree More, Alley Debate, Four Corners, and Fishbowl Debate, and include a sidebar on establishing norms for participation within the debate that are mindful of various customs reflected in the classroom. After four days of revising their published essays for analogies, word choice, linking words, and final edits, students also present their essays with others using Peer Reviews, Evaluations/Reflections, Classroom Swaps, or in an organized event like a fair/museum inviting parents or community members to class. Students use guides such as #3 Editing and the Conventions Check card to prepare final essays.

In Unit 4, students engage in an oral mini debate during which the two sides present their arguments while the other group of students listen. The listening groups select a winning side based on which group most effectively supported their team’s claim, fairly acknowledged the conflicting viewpoint, and convincingly responded to the other opinion.

Evaluation for 3.d.1
Materials engage students in both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry processes to confront and analyze various aspects of a topic using relevant sources.

The materials interweave the inquiry process throughout the curriculum. Students practice applying what they learn using informational books on a variety of reading levels. Within each unit, instruction shifts from teacher-centered to student-centered as students learn through their reading, research, and discussions. The teacher modeling and group work culminate in individual products of increasing complexity as students use multiple texts and resources to develop their knowledge of a variety of topics.

Examples include but are not limited to:

In Unit 1, the materials include five informational read-alouds that are above grade level complexity. These rigorous texts support building prior knowledge of the historical time periods within the core texts. With these secondary texts, student practice discussing informational texts and making connections across texts.

In Unit 2, after choosing a topic and doing preliminary research, the students use a Resources Check Sheet to record the location of information, determine if there is enough information, and decide if they are ready for “in-depth” research. After selecting and reading books on their chosen topic, the “Research FPO” (Final Project Organizer) and the “Research Cards” assist students in organizing the important concepts included in their research. In addition, a text- specific lesson is included about “Reading Primary and Secondary Sources.” The sidebar of the lesson reviews the key concepts of primary and secondary sources for student research purposes. Through the inquiry process, students learn when to choose primary and secondary sources in their research. They then look for examples of primary and secondary sources for their specific topic of research.

In Unit 3, students research different literary devices and story elements in texts they are reading, including theme, setting, characters, scenes, dialogue, pacing, analogy, and point of view. As they research, they use the information to grow their own skills as a writer.

In Unit 4, students select a marine animal to research. Through their research, they answer questions about physical characteristics, adaptations, behavior, classification, life cycle, food web, and habitat. Students research, draft, revise, edit, illustrate, and publish a final project about their marine animal. The final project rubric provides scoring on authentic voice, information, text features, effort, quality, and writing standards expertise. Students also learn about the concept of major sources, books entirely or mostly about a topic, and minor sources, books with only a section about a topic. The Intermediate Resources Check Sheet allows students to record which type of source they are using.

Evaluation for 3.e.1
Materials contain interconnected tasks that build student knowledge and provide opportunities for increased independence.

The materials contain interconnected tasks through the skills of reading, writing, speaking, listening, thinking, and language. Through text and research discussions found throughout all the units, students integrate their reading, speaking, listening, and thinking skills. Materials also include opportunities for students to incorporate skills in writing and language as they write and speak about their reading and compose informational, narrative, and argumentative pieces. By the end of the year, students have opportunities for increased independence as they demonstrate mastery and comprehension of the tasks through their research graphic organizers and discussions.

Examples include but are not limited to:

Unit 2 contains a sequence of tasks, based on research questions, that build knowledge logically and sequentially. The sequence begins by reading and writing about weather phenomenon. It progresses to discussions with classmates and independent research on a narrower, student-selected topic. Note-taking and the use of graphic organizers help students gather information and organize their thoughts. Discussions and arguments with classmates cause the students to think deeply and develop opinions. Toward the end of the unit, student learning culminates when students produce their own informational text and share it with others. For example, in one lesson, the teacher provides guided practice to deepen student understanding of their research question. Students pair and share about what the author is saying within the text and how it matters to their research. Students read the text, think about their reading and the research question, write about what they discover from their research, and speak in pairs about their research findings.

In Unit 3, one learning goal is to identify and describe how social aspects of a setting contribute to what happens in the text. As the teacher reads from a traditional tale, the students listen and identify quotes to use that describe or analyze the social setting and its relationship to the author’s message. The students discuss their findings in groups, answering the questions: “How does the social setting affect the characters in this story?” and “How does the author use the social setting to communicate a message?” The students then spend 15-30 minutes independently reading with a focus on the social setting of the text. The students partner together and discuss their findings on social settings and use a graphic organizer to design a social setting for their own writing.

Evaluation for 3.e.2
Materials provide spiraling and scaffolded practice.

The materials provide spiraling and scaffolded practice throughout the school year with repeated practice across weeks, units, and the entire school year. Students engage in the use of rubrics and are provided scaffolds in their writing. Graphic organizers support student learning on a variety of literacy topics and skills. This organization reinforces learning and deepens understanding of texts and topics. The students have consistent, integrated opportunities to practice and grow their abilities in reading, writing, listening, thinking, and speaking.

Examples include but are not limited to:

Throughout the units of study, the materials use Seven Question Types to support student thinking about texts: basic stated information, key details, stated relationships, simple implied relationships, complex implied relationships, author’s generalizations, and structural generalization. These questions can be applied to different texts and require careful attention and deep reading to answer. They also allow students to apply knowledge learned in different contexts and teach them how to notice particular textual features. Since the same question strands are used for different texts, students are constantly referring to previous lessons and incorporating previous learning into the present lesson.

Lessons’ spiraling design and repeated practice make the content more accessible. The common organization solidifies language structures and academic information from previous days, weeks, and units. This facilitates oracy development and reduces the complexity that would be needed for stand-alone lessons, ensuring deeper, more thorough learning for all students.

Student pairings and groupings are intentionally selected to scaffold learning and language needs of all involved. The teacher uses targeted instruction and strategic grouping, including a mix of whole-group instruction, individual conferences, and small groups, to ensure that every student receives appropriate instruction. Teachers assess the students with the IRLA so that students have the opportunity to learn and practice in their Zone of Proximal Development. These groups and pairings change as needed as students grow or struggle throughout the year.

During lessons, tools such as writing rubrics and graphic organizers are consistently used to scaffold student learning and as a feedback loop for the teacher. Rubrics help build students’ learning one component at a time, allow students to take charge of their own learning, and ensure that all students have the opportunity to master grade-level thinking. Over the course of the year, practicing and reusing these rubrics and graphic organizers reinforces learning and deepens understanding of texts and topics.

Throughout the units, student understanding of facts within text is scaffolded to best support long-term understanding. In Unit 1, students must be able to define a fact and list a single fact from the text. In Unit 2, students use facts to develop points about the central idea or topic of their writing. In Unit 3, students utilize “strong” facts to influence the opinions of others. In Unit 4, students observe the facts an author includes and excludes from his writing and analyze how this supports an author's message and point of view.

Evaluation for 4.1
Materials provide systematic instruction and practice of foundational skills, including opportunities for phonics and word analysis skills (e.g., examination of grade-level prefixes and suffixes, decoding of multisyllabic words by using syllabication, and automaticity with grade-level regular and irregular spelling patterns).

The materials include a systematic approach to foundational literacy skills instruction through the IRLA Foundational Skills Toolkit. The Toolkit provides explicit instruction through modeling, practice, and independent practice of the foundational literacy skills both in isolation and within the context of authentic texts. The IRLA toolkit contains lessons that provide grade-level instruction for phonics, spelling, and word-analysis; note that teachers use a student’s reading level to determine which lessons students receive from the IRLA, so if a student requires additional support in certain skills, teachers can access varied levels of support within different IRLA toolkits.

Examples include but are not limited to:

The Foundational Skills Toolkit provides explicit instruction in letter sounds and phonological awareness skills, including rhyming, segmenting, blending, sight word development, letter-sound correspondences, blends and digraphs, and eventually more complex decoding. 

The IRLA Toolkit is built on a Phonics Infrastructure in K-2 reading levels (3Y-2R). Building on a foundation of reading is the process of making meaning from text, but the next set of threshold skills enable the reader to crack the code and figure out what the words say. In levels White and above (grade 3+), the reader must be able to manage the increasingly difficult vocabulary, text structure, and knowledge demands of text. Complexity of texts in these levels is determined through both quantitative and qualitative measures.

Through regular formative assessment conferencing using the IRLA Toolkit, the teacher diagnoses individual instruction needs (Power Goals), organizes small groups around common Power Goals, and delivers small group instruction focused on mastering applying the identified Power Goal to text. Changing from traditional, static guided reading groups focused on teaching texts to a model where students move from group to group as they master specific skills, allows students to move at different paces and delivers better results for struggling subgroups, as well as acceleration for advanced readers. 

The IRLA Toolkits contain explicit instruction on foundational literacy skills, such as high-frequency words, initial blends and digraphs, onset and sight word/rime, 2-syllable words, multisyllabic words, and irregularly spelled words. 

The IRLA Toolkit and classroom library books give students the opportunity to practice and apply foundational literacy skills, including guided and independent practice. Tasks are sequenced to build word, phrase, sentence, and comprehension levels to achieve grade-level mastery.

IRLA Toolkit include multiple modality encoding (VAKT) guidance for the teacher. The guided and independent practice tasks are differentiated to support students learning at different paces. 

Evaluation for 4.2
Materials include diagnostic tools and provide opportunities to assess student mastery, in and out of context, at regular intervals for teachers to make instructional adjustments.

The instructional materials include assessments that are consistently present over the course of the year and are varied in the form of rubrics, conferences, and check-ins, among others. Assessments of all foundational literacy skills (i.e., phonics, word recognition and analysis, fluency) are provided in the IRLA Toolkit. Assessments provide teachers with foundational literacy skill mastery data per student and next steps for reteaching and learning.

Examples include but are not limited to:

Assessments of all foundational literacy skills (i.e., phonics, word recognition and analysis, fluency) are provided. The IRLA Formative Assessment is built on a Phonics Infrastructure in K-2 reading levels (3Y-2R). Building on a foundation of reading is the process of making meaning from text, but the next set of threshold skills enable the reader to crack the code and figure out what the words say. In levels White and above (grade 3+), the reader must be able to manage the increasingly difficult vocabulary, text structure, and knowledge demands of text. Complexity of texts in these levels is determined through both quantitative and qualitative measures. (IRLA Framework/ Phonics Development Sequence) 

Assessments provide teachers with foundational literacy skill mastery data per student and next steps for reteaching and learning. Finding Power Goals/ Teaching Power Goals: Provides explicit directions on identifying power goals for students (IRLA Framework/ How to Use the IRLA). IRLA Formative Assessment: Provides the following data trackers: running record, reading behavior trackers (e.g. 1Y - tracking/ one-to-one correspondence), transition trackers (e.g. 1Y - 2Y), and entry requirements: cumulative records (3Y - Independent Reading Level Assessment).

Assessments provide teachers with foundational literacy skill mastery data per student and next steps for reteaching and learning. The IRLA provides teachers with tools to assess students to determine their individual reading levels, as well as skills needed to be successful. The introduction of the IRLA Toolkit locates the following items, “…identify a baseline reading level, match reader with appropriate texts, identify which skills/standards and in what order (including foundational skills), design individual, small groups, and whole groups, monitor progress through the standards/reading levels.” 

Materials include support and direction for teachers to assess students’ growth in, and mastery of, foundational skills (e.g., skill gaps in phonics and decoding) both in and out of context. The teacher uses the IRLA Toolkit to assess student growth in reading in regard to phonics, fluency, and comprehension. Assessment tasks range from identifying letter name and sound, word reading, running records, and comprehension questions. Throughout the units, the teacher confers with students to informally assess reading and writing ability and assist and reteach as necessary. The unit specifies periodically “Embedded Formative Assessment” wherein the teacher “listens/watches as students work to decide if/what to clarify or reteach on the spot”.

Materials support teachers with guidance and direction to respond to individual students’ literacy needs, based on assessments appropriate to the grade level. After the teacher has given the IRLA, the teacher has access to color-coded “toolkits” for each level. The toolkits contain lessons appropriate for that level, which also accelerate growth to the next. In addition to the toolkit, the materials contain access to the data website SchoolPace, which houses and helps in tracking and processing data. The materials also include several PLC guides for teacher teams to facilitate conversation around students’ needs and “Power Goals” (Unit 1, Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & Beyond).

Evaluation for 4.3
Materials provide frequent opportunities for students to practice and develop oral and silent reading fluency, while reading a wide variety of grade-appropriate texts at the appropriate rate with accuracy and expression to support comprehension.

The instructional materials provide opportunities to practice and develop oral and silent reading fluency. The materials provide students with opportunities to read grade-level texts to make meaning and build foundational skills. ARC fluency instruction, for third graders, focuses on the rapid silent reading required to handle novel-length texts. Students are given some opportunities across the units and in small group instruction to practice and apply oral reading fluency through Readers’ Theater and voluntarily reading aloud. For students struggling with oral fluency in grade-level text, ARC CORE provides IRLA Toolkit lessons to remediate automaticity and/or prosody, starting back at the appropriate IRLA level/skill level of each student.

Examples include but are not limited to:

During Independent Reading Time, students spend 15-30 minutes practicing oral or silent fluency as they read self-selected texts from the classroom library. Depending upon each student’s need, they may whisper read or read silently during this time.

In Unit 1, the Core Novel, Dinosaurs Before Dark, is the first grade-level text introduced. The novel is distributed to students regardless of their reading level so that they may be exposed to a 3rd-grade level text. Students have multiple opportunities to build fluency and foundational skills as they read and reread the text to find details to support their thinking in partner and class discussions.

In Unit 2, the whole class reads from, discusses, and writes about the core grade-level text, Weather and Climate. Who reads the text depends on the “students, the text, and the purpose,” according to the materials.

In Unit 3, the Genre Study uses ELAR mini-lessons and shared/close reading of the grade-level core text, If the Shoe Fits, to teach reading and writing standards and literary analysis.

In Unit 4, the teacher selects a “rich” passage from the grade-level core text, Save the Ocean, for the students to read and reread, building knowledge of the key science concepts being studied.

As they utilize these grade-level texts in all Units, teachers are to provide the “least help you can to ensure they [students] do most of the work of accessing and processing the text.” Teachers use what they know about their “students, the text, and the purpose,” to make instructional decisions that provide appropriately supportive opportunities for students to develop their fluency and foundational skills within a grade-level text.

Explicit instruction (through IRLA and small group interventions) provided through IRLA Toolkits, provides daily opportunities for teachers to monitor and accelerate reading levels as determined and monitored through Power Goals and SchoolPace tracking. At each IRLA level, fluency is addressed as appropriate to the level, and the expectations correspond to the TEKS for the associated grade level. For example, at the 1G (end of K) level, students are focused on attaining 95-100% accuracy while sustaining attention and self-monitoring. However, by 2G (beginning grade 1), they are expected to attend to rate and prosody as well. For a student to enter an IRLA level, they must demonstrate appropriate phrasing, intonation, expression, and accuracy in the IRLA Cold Read Text at that level.

The IRLA Foundational Toolkits reinforce student fluency development at each level with mini-lessons that support teachers as they learn to “listen in and coach phrasing, expression, attention to dialogue,” and include opportunities for fluency practice both in and out of context. For example, the 1B Toolkit includes an example of students practicing fluency with “-all” words. In addition, the 1R Toolkit includes the lesson “Prosody: Performance Read Aloud” of the text George and Martha. The 2R Toolkit includes “Phrasing Practice,” which partners student readers and asks them to make direct connections between fluency, accuracy, and comprehension, as they listen to evaluate: “Did your partner pause in a way that helped you understand the meaning of the story? Did she stop and fix her phrasing when it didn’t make sense? Did she read every word correctly or stop and fix it if she didn’t?” Further, explicit opportunities for practice of fluency components (including automaticity, prosody/phrasing) are embedded into most lessons in the 2R Toolkit. The White Toolkit provides additional opportunities to practice and develop oral fluency as students engage in both readers’ theater, and “Sell Your Book,” in which they rehearse and read aloud a particularly funny or interesting passage that they self-select. Because fluency practice is embedded in the routine small-group lessons, teachers can regularly monitor and provide corrective feedback on individual students’ phrasing, intonation, expression, and accuracy in an appropriate context.

Evaluation for 5.1
Materials include supports for students who demonstrate proficiency above grade-level.

The materials provide learning opportunities for students demonstrating literacy skills above that of the expected grade level. All students engage with grade-level core texts, regardless of their current reading level, and an additional thematic leveled library that spans as many as six to eight grade-levels provide students with independent texts closely aligned to the topic of study and their current reading levels. The range of reading levels can be customized to match the range of reading levels in individual schools or classrooms to provide access for students to self-select challenging texts in every unit. During Units 2 and 4, students participate in Research Labs for nonfiction text, the materials provide guidance on which research topics require additional research outside of the texts provided by ARC CORE, and topics are self-selected by students. Within the lessons of each unit, some of the sidebars also provide teaching strategy tips. Strategies for differentiation are embedded into the organization and structure of each component of the ARC CORE literacy block, including intentional groupings and active participation techniques in Reading Complex Texts; setting a focus for interdependent reading and accountable talk in Readers' Workshop; mentor texts, mini-lessons, and teacher writing demonstrations as well as rubrics, graphic organizers, and peer editing in Writing Workshop. For students reading at or above the third-grade level, the IRLA Toolkits provide additional supports (e.g., word analysis, affixes and roots, figurative language, genre expansion) to assure students reading above-grade level make on-going reading growth. The toolkit provides a systematic approach to moving students from one reading level to the next. The teacher uses the assessments within the IRLA Toolkit to identify a student’s reading level, create and adjust “Power Goals”, and create small groups with similar “Power Goals” and reading levels. Time is provided within the literacy block to address “Power Goals” in addition to the work of the main unit; however, the teacher is directed to spend the majority of intervention support with groups performing below grade-level.

Examples include but are not limited to:

Within each unit the materials provide pre-, mid-, and post- Constructed Response Assessments in order to identify the needs of students. The teacher is provided with guidance for evaluating the responses to create strategy groups.

The IRLA Toolkit allows the teacher to support students at all reading levels, give specific examples of how to identify each student’s reading level, and necessary supports including: comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, range of reading, and phonics. In addition, Entry and Exit Requirements for each reading level can be found in the overview. Students have multiple opportunities to engage with the text by recording “Great Words you Want to Remember”, looking at types of context clues and pacing, and analyzing levels of meaning. Throughout, students are working at their identified reading level; thus, providing one type of differentiation.

In Unit 1, the teacher is provided with a reader’s and writer’s engagement scale to monitor students. The materials provide support on identifying each student’s reading level to make sure students are reading on the correct level to ensure growth. The teacher sets up their SchoolPace account in order to track students’ levels and growth. The 100 Book challenge provides students opportunities to read books on their level. Students log their reading.

In Unit 2, the Informational Research Lab provides options for Research Topics for high-level students. All students answer the same Research Questions during the unit, only the level of text differs for students.

In Unit 3, students choose books on their level to read throughout the unit. Students read a minimum of five different texts to compare and contrast. All students complete the same tasks and questions. For example, every student completes a comparison chart of the texts.

Evaluation for 5.2
Materials include supports for students who perform below grade level to ensure they are meeting the grade-level literacy standards.

The materials provide learning opportunities for students demonstrating literacy skills below that of the expected grade level. All students engage with grade-level core texts, regardless of their current reading level, and an additional thematic leveled library that spans as many as six to eight grade-levels provide students with independent texts closely aligned to the topic of study and their current reading levels. During Units 2 and 4, students participate in Research Labs for nonfiction text. The materials provide guidance on which topics are “Best Bets for Struggling Readers” and topics are self-selected by students. The materials use grouping, mini-lessons, graphic organizers and rubrics, and read-aloud strategies to support students reading below grade-level in accessing the core texts. Within the lessons of each unit, the materials also provide sidebars with teaching strategy tips. Strategies for differentiation are embedded into the organization and structure of each component of the ARC CORE literacy block, including intentional groupings and active participation techniques in Reading Complex Texts; setting a focus for interdependent reading and accountable talk in Readers' Workshop; and mentor texts, mini-lessons, and teacher writing demonstrations, as well as rubrics, graphic organizers, and peer editing in Writing Workshop. The lessons provide a systematic approach to moving students from one reading level to the next. The teacher uses the assessments within the IRLA Toolkit to identify a student’s reading level, create and adjust “Power Goals”, and create small groups with similar “Power Goals” and reading levels. Time is provided within the literacy block to address “Power Goals” in addition to the work of the main unit. The teacher is directed to spend the majority of intervention support with groups performing below grade-level.

Examples include but are not limited to:

The IRLA is designed to determine the needs of all readers and help them grow in their reading skills. Through the IRLA assessments, the teacher identifies the needs of students and develops “Power Goals” for small group instruction. The lessons provide a systematic approach to moving students from one reading level to the next.

Within each unit, the materials provide pre-, mid-, and post- Constructed Response Assessments in order to identify the needs of students. The teacher is provided with guidance for evaluating the responses to create strategy groups. Embedded Formative Assessment throughout the units allows the teacher to use evidence to clarify or reteach immediately within each lesson and plan for instruction the next day.

In Unit 1, The ARC CORE overview states, “supports go far beyond the traditional below, on, and above” levels. ARC CORE classroom libraries usually have six to eight reading levels. In the ARC CORE Literacy Lab Overview, directions are provided to determine who reads the core text. Students one to two instructional levels below the text are recommended to have minimal support, such as a pair share. Students multiple levels below the level of the text are recommended to have a buddy at a higher level read or listen to a teacher read aloud.

In Unit 2, the Informational Research Lab provides Research Topics for struggling readers. All students answer the same Research Questions during the unit, only the level of text differs for students.

In the Introduction of Unit 3, a student checklist states one goal as “Emergency readers move at least one IRLA level.”

In Unit 4, students are provided opportunities to work in group settings to support the needs of students performing below grade level.

Evaluation for 5.3
Materials include supports for English Learners (EL) to meet grade-level learning expectations.

The curriculum provides some support for English Learners (EL) to meet grade-level learning expectations. The materials include an overarching framework for how to support EL students in achieving grade-level proficiency. Throughout each unit, the teacher is given insights on how to scaffold and accommodate lessons for their ELs in developing a student’s reading, writing, listening, and speaking in English while honoring the student’s home language. The materials do not include supports commensurate with the various levels of English language proficiency as defined by the ELPs (beginning, intermediate, advanced, and advanced high); however, accommodations provided could be used at various levels of proficiency. There is no evidence of adapted text, translations, summaries, realia, glossaries, bilingual dictionaries, and thesauri specifically geared toward language learners.

Examples include but are not limited to:

The Introduction section of each unit includes a section titled, “ARC CORE ELL Supports: Toward a Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Pedagogy.” This section highlights the resources offered by the program to support ELs including a responsive reading assessment, leveled libraries, responsive instructional delivery, and thematically organized learning. The page titled, “A Literacy Block Model Designed to Effectively Support ALL Learners”, shows the embedded structural supports for ELs. The materials also frequently suggest partnering students who can support one another in their own language.

Lesson plans contain Call-outs with Actionable ELL Supports. These are organized around six categories including identity affirmation, learning objectives, frontloading, comprehensible input, oracy and literacy development, and differentiated and formative assessment. Through the use of these predictable routines, ELs are provided practice in all four linguistic domains (speaking, listening, reading, and writing).

Within each unit, sidebars and insertions provide alternate discussions, assignments, and note taking for ELs. One example of a sidebar, from Unit 1, Week 1, Day 1, “Self-Leveling and Comprehensible Input”, guides the teacher to support readers new to English with reading pictures.

In Unit 1, the Teacher Guide provides one “Reading Survey”, “Levels Check Sheet”, and a “Reading Log” in several languages with the goal of supporting students’ first languages.

In Unit 2, a “Parents & Guardians” letter is provided in multiple languages.

In Unit 3, a “Home Connection” letter and “Dinner Table Conversation Starters” are provided in multiple languages.

In Unit 1, teachers can use a Multilingual Learners tracking sheet to take note and notice the behaviors of the students in the areas of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. This information is meant to provide initial guidance to the teacher in determining what the student can do. A sidebar within the unit prompts the teacher to ask questions and to frontload learning before the lesson to support ELs. Specifically, the sidebar suggests teachers create a list of question words and then use the text images to discuss the meaning of “when” vs. “where.” Additionally, the teacher is encouraged to match beginning ELs with partners who speak the same language or to partner them with others who are also ELs. An additional sidebar addresses how to support ELs in class discussions and oracy development. Suggestions include allowing the student to use their home language as needed to express more complex ideas.

In Unit 2, students create research questions that will serve as a scope and sequence of content inquiry across the unit. The teacher is directed to determine a sequence that builds content knowledge logically and sequentially. A sidebar discusses frontloading materials for students and allowing ELs to use whatever means or language they feel comfortable with to demonstrate their prior knowledge on the research topic. A separate sidebar notes how to support technical vocabulary and comprehensible input to support English language development. The materials suggest that the teacher “choose vocabulary terms for students to learn strategically and create a context for repeating them many times.”

In Unit 3, a side note asks teachers to reflect on the scaffolds used to accommodate ELs’ current language/literacy competencies while working with a writing rubric. Additionally, the teacher is encouraged in a side note to provide beginner ELs with sentence frames to scaffold their answers to the Constructed Responses prompt. Later in the unit, English Learners can craft a bilingual project using their home language in combination with their emerging skills in writing English. Specifically, they are encouraged to use English to label diagrams and paraphrase in simple terms.

In Unit 4, the materials provide a sidebar to reflect upon academic vocabulary and literacy development where pre-teaching vocabulary should be considered based on tiers (3-technical, 2-academic). An additional side note provides guidance with scaffolding argumentation skills to encourage oral participation. Later in the unit, a side note regarding writing and comprehensible input for the teacher offers guidance for checking for understanding with ELs. Suggestions within the unit for linguistic accommodations include providing structures and sentence stems, allowing ELs to express themselves through their home language, and being cognizant of cultural norms that might make this argument unit challenging. For comparing points of view, the teacher is guided to review learning goals with struggling ELs. The materials guide the teacher to provide additional practice and to reflect on scaffolds needed and no longer needed.

Evaluation for 6.1
Materials include assessment and guidance for teachers and administrators to monitor progress including how to interpret and act on data yielded.

The materials include assessments and tools to guide teachers and administrators as they monitor students’ progress in mastery of the content. Each unit incorporates formative and summative assessments that align with the purpose of the lesson and TEKS. Specifically, rubrics measure student learning and mastery across the curriculum and provide guidance for the teacher to interpret and respond to student performance needs. The curriculum includes many examples of useful supporting documentation to guide instructors in their teaching.

Examples include but are not limited to:

The IRLA provides an initial summative assessment of a student’s current reading level. The teacher uses the results of the assessment to create formative assessments and Power Goal lessons based on the needs of the students. These assessments and lessons are based on focus standards which support TEKS acquisition.

Resources also incorporate the use of self and peer assessment as a mode of learning. Students are consistently provided with opportunities to monitor their progress and analyze their processes, as well as those of their peers.

The Unit 1 Overview includes a supplement on Conferencing and Formative Assessments. The supplement describes how to use the Independent Reading Level Assessments to identify student reading levels, how to use conferencing as an ongoing formative assessment, how to prepare of Power Goals to help students move to higher reading levels, and how to use the Formative Assessment Protocol Rubric to determine when these goals are met.

In Unit 1, the teacher utilizes formative assessments in each reader’s workshop to assess the students, provide feedback, and make changes when necessary. Formative assessments are additionally found during the writing process. Lessons in this unit include formative assessments for differentiation. The assessments assist with identifying the strengths of the student, gathering evidence, and planning for the next lesson.

In Unit 2, the lessons provide formative assessments to check for understanding. The teacher is able to assess student deficiencies and apply the appropriate focus. The lessons allow for one-on-one conferences within the formative assessment. The teacher can then coach the students on their individual needs. The Final Project Rubric for students’ informational writing clearly outlines the students' goals for the writing project and the points associated with the components of authentic voice, information, text features, effort, quality, and writing standards expertise. The materials also include a Central Ideas Rubric used throughout the unit to assess and measure students' learning of the unit TEKS and includes specific components of identifying the main topic, central idea, and supporting details.

In Unit 3, the teacher is able to conduct a pre-assessment, as well as a post-assessment. The lessons provide many rubrics to allow for effective scoring based on student performance. Lessons contain formal and informal opportunities for assessments. The materials provide a Final Project Rubric for students’ Traditional Tale writing that clearly outlines the students' goals for the writing project and the points associated with the components of authentic voice, literary elements, narrative technique, effort, quality, and writing standards expertise. A rubric for Proficient Textual Analysis is also utilized throughout the unit to assess student mastery of the unit TEKS and includes specific components of claim, evidence, and reasoning.

In Unit 4, students practice and examine argumentative writing. The materials provide an Analyzing Argument Practice Rubric that gauges point of view/author’s purpose and helps students evaluate the argument of a text, as outlined in the TEKS. The Final Project Rubric for students’ argumentative writing outlines the students' goals for the writing project and the points associated with the components of authentic voice, information, text features, effort, quality, and writing standards expertise.

Evaluation for 6.2
Materials include year-long plans and supports for teachers to identify needs of students and provide differentiated instruction to meet the needs of a range of learners to ensure grade-level success.

The materials include supports for teachers to identify the needs of students and provide differentiated instruction to meet the needs of a range of learners. Sidebars throughout the curriculum offer suggestions on how to best differentiate the materials to support students. Additionally, the resources provide strong assessment tools for student diagnostics and a foundational toolkit to provide differentiated instruction for learners based on the diagnostic assessment. Throughout the instructional framework, ancillary and resource materials assist teachers in meeting the needs of a range of learners.

Examples include but are not limited to:

The IRLA outlines the reading skills, strategies, and concepts which distinguish one Independent Reading Level from the next. The concept listed for each level describes the concept required for independent reading of text within the level not already required by text at previous levels. Teachers use the IRLA to identify a baseline reading level, match readers with appropriate text, identify the order in which a student needs to learn crucial skills/standards, design for individual/small group/whole group instruction targeted to the development of specific skills, and monitor progress through the standards/reading levels in real time to ensure all students are on-track to make sufficient reading growth.

The IRLA helps teachers establish a baseline proficiency reading level for each student. This assessment helps show students where they are, where they should be, and what skills and behaviors they need to work on to get to the next level. Through regular student conferences, teachers outline and track course corrections, acceleration, or maintenance for each student and monitor, with the student, progress toward a Power Goal. All four units actively use Power Goals. The individual goals move students toward a targeted skill or concept with the end goal of improving readers so that they can finish the year as an “engaged, skilled, critical reader.”

The IRLA and SchoolPace systems also assist teachers in guiding students as they find appropriate texts and manage/assess growth in reading levels throughout the year.

The units include sidebars to support differentiation, such as sidebars that describe the importance of differentiation within independent reading time. The sidebar explains that all students need to experience “success-level” reading to develop important skills. The materials provide books at each student's level, so they have access to these materials and can develop their reading skills.

At the end of the Unit 1 instructional framework, a section titled, Building Instruction in Units of Study, provides guidance and resources on questioning strategies, Bloom’s taxonomy, lesson planning, rubrics, and vocabulary to assist teachers in honing their craft, thus supporting student learning.

The introduction for each unit provides a “Guide to Lesson Plan Decision-Making” to guide the teacher in designing lesson plans which address the focus standard; student outcomes; standards-based mini-lessons; students reading, writing, and discussing complex text; readers’ workshop; and writing. In addition, the ELA Standards Architecture Backwards Design guides the teacher through building lessons by starting with a writing standard, unpacking the writing standard into a student-friendly rubric, unpacking complementary reading standards into a student-friendly rubric, designing reading mini-lessons, and designing writing mini-lessons. Ancillary support, such as assessing students’ current background knowledge in the unit of study with a provided KWL chart and creating a gallery walk opportunity for students to add to the class WOW! Chart are also included for teachers to implement in order to assess student understanding. The introduction also includes the teacher aid, “8 Decisions for Planning a Lesson” which guides the teacher in making decisions on unit purpose, unit outcomes, rubrics, the day’s task, the day’s text, graphic organizers, leverage, and classroom culture.

Evaluation for 6.3
Materials include implementation support for teachers and administrators.

The materials provide a TEKS-aligned scope and sequence detailing the order in which to present the materials. The supplemental materials assist teachers in implementing the units as intended. The materials provide administrators with opportunities to support, track, and monitor the effective use of the materials. The provided pacing guide correlates with the scope and sequence and aligns with a 180-day school year.

Examples include but are not limited to:

The materials provide professional development opportunities for teachers and administrators to monitor the educational setting. For example, the materials provide a three-day professional learning, titled “Leading for Equity and Excellence: Leadership Learning Series.” Teachers can access the Learning to Improve Skills Card, which supports the teacher in problem solving and finding results in the classroom. The materials provide administrators with a Professional Learning Plan to track and monitor classroom instruction. The materials are structured around a gradual release model that begins with a workshop for staff, learning sessions for those in leadership roles, and collaborative sessions including grade-level group meetings and demonstrations that end with 1:1 support as needed. The materials provide opportunities to ensure achievement targets are met by both teachers and administrators.

The materials include an online performance management system that guides leaders and teachers in tracking progress, SchoolPace. It allows administrators to access data on student growth and performance, as well as monitor how entire classes are performing. This program allows administrators to plan for and provide appropriate support when and where it is needed for both students and teachers. Furthermore, it allows teachers to track progress and design appropriate action plans for students in need of support.

The curriculum includes guides for Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) which outline plans for weekly meetings to support student learning and to improve teaching. In Unit 1, the plans include discussion prompts for IRLA Leveling: Establishing Baseline Reading Levels, Reading Culture: Engaged Reader Action Plan, and Lesson Plans for Next Week. Example prompts include “What would it take to get the students 100% engaged?” and “What best practices do you already use to teach vocabulary?”

In addition to the daily lesson plans in the framework, each unit provides templates for teachers to make adjustments to the provided lessons specific to their individual contexts. The template includes a blank notetaking page to create a working lesson plan and a guide to lesson plan decision making. The document provides general focus standards as well as the daily focus. In the student outcome section, details for the key concepts are provided, including the expectations for student learning. Additionally, the document provides a product indicating what the students will create based on the focus and teaching. The teacher is provided with a standards-based mini lesson that includes very strategic activities. The plan breaks down the reading for students, including independent level (grade level or above), instructional level (1-2 levels below), frustration level (multiple levels below), and new language learners. The units provide additional information and activities in the sidebars for teachers on how to differentiate and provide further instruction.

The scope and sequence along with the pacing guides offer a plan to cover a 180-day schedule, but not a 220-day schedule. The scope and sequence along with the pacing guide offers a plan that can be expanded or condensed as needed to align with a school year. The pacing guide provides 9-week sections for the units. The scope and sequence is broken down by weeks, which encompass 36 weeks for a 180-day schedule. The pacing is appropriate for the lessons and there are indicators for how long should be spent on each unit. The scope and sequence provide an explicit breakdown of the TEKS for the grade level, listed by unit and correlated with the topics of multiple genres, author’s purpose and craft, composition, foundational language skills, comprehension skills, response skills, inquiry and research, as well as the IRLA growth expectations. The scope and sequence not only provides the TEKS for each unit, it provides the TEKS that are covered throughout the year.

Evaluation for 6.4
The visual design of the student edition (whether in print or digital) is neither distracting nor chaotic.

The materials employ a visual design that is neither distracting nor chaotic. The core texts contain sufficient white space with grade-level appropriate sizing and spacing. The texts also contain colorful and engaging graphics that align with the written content. The student handouts limit distractions and maintain student focus on the learning objectives. Overall, the student materials present a well-designed and cohesive format that supports student learning.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

Unit 1 includes a template chart as students describe physical setting. The boxes are sized and spaced appropriately for students to record information easily. The column descriptors are easy to understand and not distracting. The bold text draws students’ attention to important details.

In Unit 2, Weather and Climate, the white space is appropriately used so that the materials are visually appealing and non-distracting. The photo centered in the middle of the page is visually appealing and demonstrates appropriate use of white space.

Unit 3 contains genre cards that students use to support the exploration of various texts. These cards include graphics that are engaging and appropriate for the subject matter. The layout and design are easy to navigate and free from distractions.

In Unit 4, a research lab Home Connection handout is designed with appropriate white space and is laid out in a visually appealing manner to support the student task. In the text, Save the Ocean, the layout is attractive and the use of boxes to separate the paragraphs makes it easier to read.

Evaluation for 6.5
If present, technology components included are appropriate for grade level students and provide support for learning.

The materials do not include student-facing technology components.