Amplify Texas Skills, Grade 1

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

• The materials include a scope and sequence curriculum map that outlines the TEKS, ELPS, concepts, and knowledge taught within each unit. This curriculum map provides the duration of the unit in days, the number of recommended pausing days, and any accompanying unit assessments on a one-page document for each unit. The map also offers a summary of upcoming unit learning. For example, the Unit 4 summary states, "Introduces the most common, or least ambiguous, spellings for /r/-controlled vowel sounds. Students learn the concept of a syllable and practice with two-syllable words. Students are introduced to past-tense verb forms ending with -ed as they continue to work with nouns and verbs in phrases." Below the unit summary, the curriculum map gives a bulleted list of expected unit learning outcomes. A table at the bottom of the document lists the instructed and assessed TEKS and the correlating ELPS.
• Each unit provides a correlating teacher guide with a scope and sequence section. The grade 1 scope and sequence consists of three pages in a bulleted list. The scope and sequence addresses phonemic awareness, high-frequency words, dictation identification, reading and comprehending decodable stories, and the writing process. The scope and sequence lists the high-frequency words for Units 1–5, the spelling patterns for each unit, and notes that each unit, except Unit 3, includes chaining exercises.
•  Each grade 1 teacher's guide includes a document that lists the TEKS introduced in the unit. The list provides the TEKS number in conjunction with the TEKS full textual descriptions. Additionally, a similar document lists the ELPS with their full textual descriptions and their correlation to the unit.

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).

• A pacing guide in table form outlines the number of days for each unit and includes recommended pausing points. The table shows the pacing of the material across 41 instructional weeks.
• The materials include a pacing guide for grade 1 that specifies the number of days allotted for each unit and suggests pausing points. The total unit length is 189 days, with 159 days for instructional lessons, 23 days for pausing points, and seven days for assessments.
• The materials include an Adjusted Pathways document for varying school or district calendars. This document recommends adjusting instructional days by reducing or eliminating pausing points or assessment days or adding activities if needed. It includes an interactive table divided into days for instructional lessons, pausing points, and assessments. This table is available to help calculate and adjust the number of days for each curriculum section to fit varying instructional calendars.

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.

• Multiple materials sections detail the rationale behind the unit order and the connections between concepts. The Program Overview for Leaders Pacing and Coherence Document states, "Amplify Texas units and lessons are designed to systematically build on skills and concepts taught in previous units or grades. Therefore, it is highly recommended that units and lessons be taught as outlined in the program."
• Each Skills Unit Teacher Guide contains an introduction at the beginning that provides an overview of the unit. This includes what students will start learning, what they will learn later, and what they have already learned in previous units. The introduction also explains how the current content integrates with previous knowledge. For example, the introduction in Skills Unit 4 states, "In this program, the sounds /er/ as in her, /ar/ as in car, and /or/ as in for are classified as r-controlled vowel sounds rather than vowel + consonant combinations. In this program, /er/, /ar/, and /or/ are treated as discrete phonemes. These sounds result from co-articulation between the /r/ sound and the preceding vowel sound."
• Each unit's Skills Unit Teacher Guide includes a letter to the teacher in the Introduction section outlining the program. For example, Skills Unit 1 states: "The program begins by teaching the most common or least ambiguous spelling for a sound (the basic code spelling); later, it teaches spelling alternatives for sounds that can be spelled in several different ways.
• The system is kept simple at first, and complexity is added gradually as students gain confidence and automatize their reading and writing skills.

Evaluation for 1.1d
Materials include guidance, protocols, and/or templates for unit and lesson internalization.

• The materials include opportunities for unit internalization, offering guidance, protocols, and templates in multiple locations. The digital materials feature an editable template for unit internalization and implementation. This document includes various support sections to help teachers gain clarity on the overall unit.
• The materials include a unit internalization template, which also serves as a protocol and includes six steps encouraging teachers to reflect on the content knowledge and pedagogical practices needed for the unit. These steps are reflective questions for teachers to answer after reviewing the unit. For instance, question two asks, "What does the introduction tell us to consider when teaching the unit? For example, pronounce the two sounds that the 'th' spelling makes, tips on how to teach students to decode multisyllabic words," prompting teachers to consider key concepts in the unit. The digital materials offer an editable template for unit internalization and implementation.
• The materials include a lesson internalization document, which follows a similar format to the unit internalization template. The lesson internalization document features a 10-step guideline organized into sections: Review the lesson, Dive into the lesson, and Customize the lesson. The Skills Lesson Internalization document outlines lesson internalization guidelines and organizes lessons into the following sections: Review the lesson, Dive into the lesson, and Customize the lesson.

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

• The materials include an implementation matrix within the program overview for leaders. The matrix outlines steps for implementing materials and practices across various areas, such as Instructional Resources, Lesson Delivery, Adapting Instruction, and Pacing and Coherence. It covers different stages of implementation, including Foundation, Initial Implementation, Full Operation, and Innovation.
• The materials include an observation tracker to support administrators and coaches when viewing instructional implementation. The tracker includes categories such as Instructional Resources, Instructional Delivery, Engagement, Adapting Instruction, Classroom Procedures, Pacing and Coherence, and Physical Space. Each category consists of four parts: Foundational Knowledge, Initial Implementation, Full Operation, and Innovation.
• The Overview for Leaders is presented in the form of a participant notebook. According to the overview, "This is an excerpted version of the Participant Guide used during professional development sessions designed especially for administrators and other leaders. During the session, participants are guided through the steps for creating a step-by-step plan for successful implementation, take a deep dive into the program design and materials, and learn about ways to support their educators and students."

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.

• The materials include an introduction at the beginning of each teacher guide. The introduction outlines what students will learn throughout the unit and what skills the lessons will review from previous units. For example, the introduction to unit 3 states, "In this unit you will continue the work you began in the last unit by introducing or reviewing a number of spelling alternatives for consonant sounds." The introduction also includes a High-Frequency Words section that lists the Tricky and Decodable Words.
• The introduction at the teacher guide's beginning provides background content knowledge and the best practices needed to teach the concepts effectively. For example, the introduction in unit 4 states, "In this program, the sounds /er/ as in her, /ar/ as in car, and /or/ as in for are classified as r-controlled vowel sounds rather than vowel + consonant combinations. In this program, /er/, /ar/, and /or/ are treated as discrete phonemes. These sounds are the result of co-articulation between the /r/ sound and the preceding vowel sound. You may wish to give students a general sense that the /r/ sound has a tendency to change preceding vowel sounds. They may need to try some vowel + 'r' words in different ways in order to determine the correct pronunciation. Two-Syllable Words In this unit you will introduce the concept of a syllable. So far, students have encountered only single-syllable words in their Readers. To read single-syllable words successfully, they needed only."
•  The introduction in the teacher guide for each unit provides the teacher with definitions and examples for academic vocabulary. For example, the introduction in Unit 2 defines separated digraphs by stating, "The spellings for the sounds /ae/, /ie/, /oe/, and /ue/ are also digraphs, but they are digraphs of a different sort. In this program, these are called separated digraphs. The two letters are still working together (as a letter team) to stand for a sing.

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.

• The materials include a take-home letter at the beginning of each activity book that informs family members of the concepts covered in the unit. It also explains that an activity page will be sent home to "inform you of activities you can do at home to supplement and solidify the learning your child is doing at school." Additionally, each unit includes a take-home letter in Spanish, offering suggestions for continuing student learning at home.
• The activity book for each unit includes take-home pages with instructions in English for parents to support their child's progress at home. For example, in unit 4 on take-home activity 1.2 the directions state, "Today our class started Unit 4 of the program. The Reader for this unit is called The Green Fern Zoo. Your student will bring home stories you can read together about zoo keeper Vern and the different types of animals he cares for at the Green Fern Zoo. Remember that reading at home with your student is important for their success as a reader." The materials provide Spanish versions of the instructions for each take-home activity page in the online resources.

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.

• The materials include a detailed lesson overview at the beginning of each lesson, featuring daily objectives listed under the title "Primary Focus of Lesson." For example, in Unit 6, lesson 2, the daily objectives and TEKS standards for foundational skills are: "Students will read words with 'c' > /k/ and /s/ and will sort words based on the sound for 'c'. (TEKS 1.2.B.i; TEKS 1.2.C.iii)".
• Each lesson plan features a section titled "Lesson at a Glance," which lists the skills being taught, grouping, suggested time, and needed materials. The lesson plans also include instructional assessments. These assessments are listed with their location or type, title, and the coordinating TEKS. For example, one instructional assessment in Unit 6, Lesson 1, is written as, "Observation, Spelling Alternatives /s/ > 's', 'ss', 'c', (TEKS 1.2.C.iii)."
• Each lesson within the teacher guide includes a list of objectives under the "Primary Focus" category. For example, Unit 3, Lesson 1, lists two objectives: "Students will orally produce single-syllable words with the /k/ sound in response to sound riddles (TEKS 1.2.A.v); Students will produce words with the /k/ sound and will sort the words based on the following sound/spellings: /k/ > 'c', 'k', 'ck', and 'cc' (TEKS 1.2.B.i)."
• The lessons within each unit include the suggested time for each activity and scripted instructions for the teacher. For example, Unit 6, Lesson 1, instructs the teacher to "Show students the Spelling Card for /s/ > 'c' (cinch). Discuss the power bar and have students read the example word. Attach the Spelling Card to the appropriate place."
• The materials include content language standards within each lesson. These standards are located in the sidebar under the title "English Language Learners," marked with an image of a hand. For example, Unit 4, Lesson 1 states, "When reviewing Activity Page 2.1, show pictures of the /r/ and /er/ words: fern, rat, rust, perch, rope, rag, clerk, and room." noting ELPS 4.F.

Evaluation for 1.3b
Materials include a lesson overview outlining the suggested timing for each lesson component.

• The materials include a lesson overview outlining the suggested timing for each lesson component at the beginning of each lesson in the section titled "Lesson At A Glance." For example, in Unit 3, Lesson 2, the overview allocates 15 minutes for foundational skills, 10 for language, and 35 for writing. Under these categories, the "Lesson At A Glance" further distributes the time to specific activities. For instance, under foundational skills, the materials allot 10 minutes for Sound/Spelling Review and 5 minutes for Introduce Tricky Word: Because.
• Lessons include an overview that outlines the time required to teach each component of the lesson. For example, in Unit 6, Lesson 7, the overview allocates 30 minutes for foundational skills, 15 minutes for Language (Grammar), and 25 minutes for reading. Under these categories, the "Lesson At A Glance" further distributes the time for specific activities. For instance, under reading, the guide allotted 5 minutes for the story introduction and 20 minutes to read "The Picnic by the River."

Evaluation for 1.3c
Materials include a lesson overview listing the teacher and student materials necessary to effectively deliver the lesson.

• The materials include a lesson overview listing the necessary materials for teachers and students. The "Lesson At A Glance" section of the teacher guide details the required materials for each part of the lesson. For example, the needed materials in Unit 1, lesson 6 include a consonant flip book, a spelling card for 'itch,' an individual code chart, and a red marker.
• Lessons in the materials feature an advanced preparation section. This section provides instructions for teachers to prepare the materials listed in the "Lesson At A Glance" section, most of which are intended for teacher use. For example, in Unit 3, Lesson 16 the materials needed for Foundational Skills include "Tricky Words Cards." In the reading section of the same lesson, the materials needed are "Preview Spelling Charts, Fables Reader and Activity page 16.1.

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

• The materials offer additional support activities within each lesson, as found in the teacher guide. These activities include teacher directions, a suggested activity, and the location of the procedure within the teacher guide. For example, in unit 2, lesson 5, under "Additional Support," the teacher has options for "More Help With Chaining" or "More Help With Tricky Words." The ancillary components in the online resources that can be used for supplemental phonics practice. For grade 1, these ancillary components include a consonant flip book, individual code chart, large letter cards, spelling cards, and a vowel flip book.
• The materials provide extension activities for one or more lessons in the teacher guide for each unit. For example, the extension activity in unit 7 encourages the teacher to "Ask students to identify the adjectives and to connect them with arrows to the nouns they define."
• The materials provide take-home pages with instructions in English and Spanish for family members to support their student's progress at home. For example, in unit 4, on take-home page 2.2, the directions state, "Dear Family Member, Your student has been taught to read words with the vowel digraph, or letter team, 'er' as in her. To practice this new spelling, ask your student to cut out the word cards below. In addition to the 'er' spelling, some of the words below are Tricky Words and previously taught spellings. Have your student read all of the words aloud, and arrange the cards to make phrases such as the herd and clerk. You may also ask your student to copy the phrases onto a sheet of paper. Please keep the cards for future practice." The materials provide Spanish versions of the instructions for each take-home activity page in the online resources.

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.

• In grade 1, materials include a beginning-of-the-year diagnostic assessment in Lessons 6 through 10. This assessment evaluates all students for grade-level readiness. Scoring instructions and placement planning sheets provide opportunities for teachers to score and document student performance, guiding further assessment. For example, the scoring analysis for the Pseudoword Reading Assessment in Lesson 8 states, "Scoring and Analysis: Students who scored 27 or more should take the Independent Story Reading Assessment: 'Gwen's Hens.' Students who scored 26 or less should be given the Code Knowledge Diagnostic Assessment at some point this week."
• The program overview informs the teacher that each lesson includes two assessment opportunities. Formative assessment opportunities gauge individual student understanding and proficiency, while quick checks for understanding monitor whole-class progression. The first page of every lesson provides a list of formative assessments, detailing the type of assessment, title, TEKS being assessed, and materials needed. For example, in grade 1, Unit 5, Lesson 13, assessments include tracking student success in decoding through observation and activity pages to formatively assess students' proficiency in the spelling alternatives taught in the lesson. An example of a quick check for understanding can be found in Unit 3, Lesson 1, where students are asked to give a thumbs up or thumbs down if they hear the /oo/ sound.
• Materials include a variety of summative instructional assessments at the unit level. These assessments are in the Teacher's Guide at or near the end of each unit. For example, in grade 1, Unit 5, the assessment spans Lessons 20 and 22. The assessment includes a spelling assessment in Lesson 20 and a word recognition assessment in Lesson 22.

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

• The Assessment Guide, available in the online program resources, includes definitions and intended purposes for the types of instructional assessments within the materials. The guide provides a table outlining each type of assessment, its purpose, and how the data are used. For example, according to the guide, the daily formative assessments determine individual student and class mastery of identified TEKS aligned with the primary objectives of the lesson. These assessments allow the teacher to gauge individual student understanding and inform small group instruction. The guide explains the purpose of unit assessments as "evaluations of "students' learning of the content in the unit." These assessments also inform small group instruction.

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

• The introduction of each Teacher Guide provides guidance to ensure consistent and accurate administration of instructional assessments. For example, the introduction of Unit 2 informs teachers, "In Lesson 18, you will be prompted to administer a multipart assessment. In the Word Recognition Assessment, students will be asked to look at several words on the designated activity page and then circle the written word that matches the spoken word you say. The target words include the vowel sound-spellings taught in this unit; distractors have been intentionally selected because they represent frequent sound/spelling confusions. Student performance on this assessment is a good indicator of whether students have mastered the new sound-spellings."

• The materials include detailed and scripted teacher guidance for administering assessments in the introduction and throughout every lesson. For example, Unit 4, Lesson 5, gives teachers detailed instructions on giving a spelling assessment, including the need for wait time and repetition.

   

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

•  The online materials provide a curriculum map that notes the TEKS aligned with each unit's formative and summative assessments. For example, the curriculum map specifies that the mid-year assessment will be administered in Unit 4, Lesson 25 and lists the TEKS that will be formatively assessed. These TEKS include: 1.2.B.i, 1.2.B.ii, 1.2.B.iii, 1.2.B.iv, 1.2.B.v, 1.2.C.i, 1.2.C.ii, 1.2.C.iii, 1.2.C.iv, 1.2.F, 1.3.C, 1.4, 1.6.B, 1.6.F, 1.6.G, 1.7.C. Each of these TEKS are taught and/or reviewed in Units 1 through 4.
• The materials include detailed lesson plans that specify the TEKS for each formative and summative assessment and the corresponding lesson components and TEKS addressed. For example, Unit 3, Lesson 8 includes a word recognition assessment over TEKS 1.2.B.iii, which are standards covered within the foundational skills of Lesson 8.

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

• Instructional assessments include standards-aligned items at varying levels of complexity. For example, Unit 2, Lesson 11 Formative Assessment includes soring, oral response, and written response questions. Additionally, Unit 2, Lesson 4 includes multiple choice, short answer, and oral response questions.
• Instructional assessments include standards-aligned items at varying levels of complexity. For example, Unit 2, Lesson 3 Formative Assessment includes segmenting and writing words (dictation). For example, on Activity Page 3.1, students write the words the teacher says on the line, using the bolded lines to ensure each sound is represented for the word, such as, c a n, t a p, f a t, r a t, p l a n.

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

• The materials include an Assessment Guidance document that provides teachers with grading expectations, additional considerations, and information on specific assessment types, such as spelling assessments. The document states that data from spelling assessments "gives insight into individual students' decoding and encoding skills and informs small group instruction."
• The materials provide scoring information and analysis within lessons. For example, in grade 1, Unit 2, Lesson 6 instructions explain how to record anecdotal notes on a reading record while observing students. The instructions state, "Use the Anecdotal Reading Record provided in the Teacher Resources section to record notes as you listen to each student read. Make specific notes of any words misread by students, recording the words they said instead; analyze errors later for any specific letter-sound confusions."
• The materials include guidance for scoring and analyzing summative assessments. In Unit 4, the teacher administers the mid-year dictation assessment. At the back of the Teacher Guide is a document that provides directions for administering the assessments, analyzing student errors, and responding to errors.

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

• The materials include instructional strategies to support students who need additional assistance. These strategies are found in each lesson under "Additional Support" in the Teacher Guide. For example, the suggested additional support in Unit 2, Lesson 2 for students struggling with /EE/ instructs the teacher to "Make one copy of Activity Page Teach Resource 2.2 for each student and have them cut apart the cards, have students spread the cards apart, placing the picture of the target at the top and the two letter cards below it, and tell students the target."
• The materials also include pedagogical guidance on responding to students who do not master assessed content on summative assessments. In Unit 4, the teacher administers the mid-year dictation assessment. At the back of the Teacher Guide is a document that provides directions for administering the assessments, analyzing student errors, and responding to errors. For example, the document advises the teacher to use the fourth column of the recording sheet for notes. See the following: "In the last column, specifically note any other confusion evidenced by individual student errors. For example, students may have had difficulty with consonant clusters or consonant digraphs. Please also consider the influence of students' home language on encoding. Analyze any patterns and provide targeted remediation using the Pausing Point."
• The digital materials include a Corrective Feedback Planning Tool that assists teachers in creating and delivering targeted corrective feedback. The tool features a bulleted list of common errors and misconceptions and suggested scripted feedback for each skill category included in the materials. Additionally, the tool provides a template for teachers to plan and document their feedback.

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

• The digital materials include a reflection sheet that allows students to note their strengths and learning opportunities. This sheet consists of the following sentence stems for students to use while reflecting: "This week I learned _______. I liked learning _______ because _______. I can _______ really well. I need help with _______. My goal for next week is _______." The sheet also includes a section for teachers to add comments in response to the student reflections. This material is available in both English and Spanish.

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

• The materials include specific recommendations for differentiated and small group activities to support students who have not yet reached proficiency in grade-level content and skills. In Unit 2, Lesson 1, the lesson plan provides a foundational skills remediation activity titled "Match Me," where students use letter cards to match the vowel sound in a word dictated by the teacher. If students answer incorrectly, the teacher corrects and repeats the word.
• The materials include embedded additional support within lessons, found in the margins of the Teacher Guide. For example, in Unit 5, Lesson 7, support is suggested for students struggling to hear the /ae/ sound at the end of a word. The support advises: "Remind students that when they hear /ae/ at the end of a word, it is probably spelled with 'ay,' and if they hear it in the middle, it is probably spelled with 'ai' or 'a_e'."
• The digital materials include a document titled "Support For All Learners," which provides guidance on supporting all learners, including those who have not yet reached proficiency in grade-level content and skills. The document includes a section titled "Best Practices and Strategies for Supporting All Learners," covering both "Best Practices Embedded Within the Lessons of the Core Curriculum" and "Additional Strategies That Can Be Incorporated Into the Core Curriculum." One example of an additional strategy from the document is the "Use of Additional Support and Pausing Points within units to provide support opportunities and encourage student choice." Pausing Points are found in each Teacher Guide after the final lesson, with recommendations to pause for one to three days to provide targeted remediation.

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).

• The materials include lesson plans featuring core vocabulary preceding read-aloud lessons in the knowledge strand. A table lists the vocabulary under the "Reading" section of each lesson and is grouped by instructional tier. For example, in Unit 2, Lesson 2, the vocabulary word "fangs" is classified as a tier two "General Academic Word." The teacher is given explicit instructions when introducing the story: "Preview the Core Vocabulary before reading today's story using established procedures. Allow students to ask questions to clarify the meaning of these words and phrases as necessary." Additional support for teaching the word "fangs" is provided in the sidebar, geared toward Emergent Bilingual students, and suggests: "Use pictures of fangs or fangs from a Halloween costume to provide visual support for students."
• The materials also include embedded supports for unfamiliar vocabulary in lessons throughout the units. This support is detailed in the sidebars under "English Language Learners." For example, in grade 1, Unit 6, Lesson 7, it states: "Before segmenting each word, show the images you prepared in advance. Have students repeat each word after you. Students working independently can act out vocabulary to reuse it in a meaningful 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 include teacher guidance on extending instruction for students who have demonstrated proficiency in grade-level skills. For example, the materials suggest extension activities throughout each unit. In Unit 3, Lesson 7, students who complete the independent practice are encouraged to create words with /oo/ and /oo/ as an extension activity.
• At the end of each unit, "Pausing Points" provide opportunities for remediation and extension. In Unit 7, one activity included in the Pausing Points tasks students with sorting words by their spellings for /ae/. As an extension, it is suggested to "Have students use highlighters to mark the spelling 'ai' or 'ay' in each word pasted on their page."
• The digital materials include a document that guides supporting all learners, including gifted and talented students. This document suggests engagement and enrichment activities such as exploring areas of interest, guided or independent research, and additional reading. It includes a section titled "Best Practices and Strategies for Supporting All Learners," covering both "Best Practices Embedded Within the Lessons of the Core Curriculum" and "Additional Strategies That Can Be Incorporated Into the Core Curriculum." For example, the "Best Practices Embedded Within the Lessons of the Core Curriculum" column highlights challenges posed in the sidebar throughout each unit. In Unit 3, Lesson 1, the Challenge instructs teachers to "Ask students to think of other word pairs with /oo/ and /ue/. Have individual students say the word pairs to the class and ask which word has the /oo/ sound."

Evaluation for 3.2a
Materials include prompts and guidance to support the teacher in modeling, explaining, and communicating the concept(s) to be learned explicitly (directly).

• The materials provide prompts and guided instructions to assist teachers in communicating, explaining, and modeling concepts directly and explicitly. Each unit's lessons in the Teacher Guide instruct teachers on how to deliver instruction clearly and explicitly. For example, Unit 3, Lesson 3 prompts the teacher to "model writing a draft with the entire class participating orally" during the writing section of the lesson plan. In Unit 7, Lesson 7, the teacher is prompted to draw handwriting lines on the board or chart paper, explain the purpose of commas, and model how to insert commas in a series of words.
• The materials include prompts and guidance to support the teacher in explaining and communicating the concepts to be learned. These instructions are provided at the lesson level. For example, in Unit 4, Lesson 1, the instructions for teaching oral segmenting of words with two phonemes begin by explaining what the students have previously learned and the lesson's objective.
• Throughout the materials, scripted instructions support teachers when presenting initial lessons. In Unit 2, Lesson 3, teachers are instructed to "tell students you are going to show them how to write the /ae/ sound" and to "explain that the spelling for /ae/ is a little different from the other spellings they have studied thus far."
• The materials include lesson instructional routines to support the teacher in modeling, explaining, and communicating the concepts. In Unit 2, Lesson 1, the instructional routine for using the ancillary material code flip book when spelling words begins with the teacher modeling the chart with several examples. Students are instructed to keep their individual code charts available for use.

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

• The materials provide teacher guidance and recommendations for effective lesson delivery at the start of each unit. For example, in the introduction to Unit 2, guidance is provided for teaching the silent or magic 'e.' The section begins by highlighting how the concept was previously taught and the misconceptions this approach may cause. It advises, "You are encouraged to avoid teaching the concept of silent 'e' in this unit and silent letters in general." The section concludes by presenting the most effective way to teach the concept.
• The Teacher Guide offers comprehensive guidance on effective lesson delivery and facilitation using diverse instructional approaches. For example, in Unit 5, foundational skills are taught through various methods: Lesson 3 uses large letter cards, Lesson 4 incorporates riddles, and Lesson 17 employs a spelling tree for review. The materials also incorporate a range of instructional games to enhance engagement and learning. In Unit 9, Lesson 2, the Teacher Guide recommends activities like "Color the Tricky Word" or "Tricky Word Bingo" to reinforce the week's challenging vocabulary.

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 materials include teacher guidance and recommended structures to support effective implementation, detailed in the "Lesson at a Glance" section at the beginning of each lesson. This section outlines the groupings for each component of the lesson. For example, Unit 2, Lesson 2" consists entirely of whole-group instruction, while Lesson 5 includes a mix of whole-group, independent, and small-group/partner activities.
• The materials provide students with various options for practicing and applying the concepts learned. In Unit 2, Lesson 5, when introducing tricky words "they" and "their," students copy the words on index cards and underline the 'tricky part' of each word. In the practice and check for understanding section, students work in pairs to turn and talk, using the tricky words "they" and "their."
• The materials support various types of practice and provide teachers with guidance and recommended structures for effective implementation. For instance, Unit 3, Lesson 10 begins with students working in tandem with the teacher, pronouncing words as she does. The lesson later offers options for students to practice and apply the concepts learned, providing choices for how they read the text.

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.

• The materials feature dedicated sections in the lesson plans tailored for emergent bilingual students), which include accommodations based on levels of language proficiency (Beginning/Intermediate/Advanced) and strategies for supporting foundational skills. These sections, titled "English Language Learners," are consistently found in the sidebar throughout the Teacher Guide for each unit. For instance, in Unit 3, Lesson 2, the support provided for emergent bilingual students instructs: "Before reading the leaves for the Spelling Tree, show the images you prepared in advance. Have students repeat the word after you as you display each image."
• The online materials include a document titled "Support for All Learners," which features "Best Practices Embedded Within the Lessons of the Core Curriculum" and additional strategies that can be integrated into the core curriculum. This document dedicates three pages to foundational skills support for emergent bilingual students, detailing ELPS (English Language Proficiency Standards) with corresponding strategy examples, guidelines for using them, and sample instructional routines.

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

• Materials include implementation guidance to assist teachers in effectively utilizing the resources within state-approved ESL programs, offering an overview of how the K–3 materials support language development. This information is prominently featured at the beginning of the online document titled "Support for All Learners." The document underscores that the "Amplify Texas Elementary Literacy Program incorporates linguistic accommodations for emergent bilingual students, encompassing appropriate communication, sequencing, and scaffolding of English language content aligned with students' varying levels of English language proficiency."
• The "Support for All Learners" document includes a detailed table delineating strategies outlined in the materials and their correlation to the ELPS (English Language Proficiency Standards). For instance, ELPS 2.B features strategy examples such as "Having students identify and provide oral rhyming words or words with alliteration." The document advises when to implement these strategies, such as during oral warm-ups, with existing ESL lesson support, or during small group interventions. Each strategy is further elucidated in a sample routine structured into four components: introduction, modeling, examples, and practice.

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 provide teacher guidance to support bilingual students in developing academic vocabulary, enhancing comprehension, building background knowledge, and fostering cross-linguistic connections. The Teacher Guide incorporates support for emergent bilingual students tailored to their proficiency levels alongside tips for reinforcing foundational skills. For example, in Unit 5, Lesson 13, the guidance suggests, "During the independent task, distribute the booklets and have students say each word and circle the target sound. As the new leaves go up on the tree, show students how to follow along by matching their leaves to yours. As an alternative, ask students to add images to the word leaves you provided."
• The materials include a "Support for All Learners" document accessible online within program resources. This document outlines "Additional strategies that can be integrated into the Core Curriculum" to assist teachers in supporting bilingual students. Strategies encompass using visuals (such as photos and graphs) and realia (real-life objects like maps and menus) to connect with the new language, employing dual language texts and bilingual dictionaries to aid language acquisition and knowledge building, utilizing Total Physical Response (TPR) strategies to bolster language and vocabulary learning, and promoting biliteracy by encouraging students to engage in reading, speaking, and writing in their home language while completing academic tasks both in class and at home.

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.

• The materials include opportunities to address metalinguistic transfer. For example, in Unit 3, Lesson 2, teachers explain consonant sound pairs by voiced and unvoiced sounds. A note reminds teachers: "Spanish speakers may need guidance in producing the /h/ sound for the letter 'h' because in Spanish, 'h' does not represent a sound. In English, 'h' stands for the /h/ sound. To make the /h/ sound, open your mouth slightly and let the breath out of the back of your throat."
• Unit 4, Lesson 5, includes guidance to share with students about exclamation point usage. The guidance reminds us that Spanish uses an inverted exclamation mark at the beginning of a sentence and a "right-side-up" exclamation at the end. It advises teachers to explain the difference to avoid confusion.

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

• The grade 1 materials include systematic phonics instruction in each lesson. For example, in Unit 7, Lesson 1, the teacher introduces the new sound /ae/ with the spellings -ai and -ay. Students repeat the sound several times and practice with words that include /ae/. The lesson then proceeds to teach the spellings for /ae/, focusing on -ai and -ay. The lesson concludes with an activity page where students practice decoding and writing words with /ae/.
• The grade 1 materials also provide sequenced phonics instruction that builds on previously taught skills. In Unit 7, advanced code is still taught, but the teacher "will now turn from spelling alternatives for consonant sounds to spelling alternatives for vowel sounds." According to the materials, lessons teach students spelling alternatives for vowels after consonants because "Vowel spellings are the trickiest part of the English spelling code. Most vowel sounds can be spelled several different ways. This means that vowel sounds are hard to spell."
• The grade 1 materials include systematic and sequenced foundational skills instruction in each lesson. For example, in Unit 6, Lesson 2, students are introduced to the tricky spelling of c as /k/ and /s/. After completing activities to learn the sounds, students move on to spelling. The spelling lesson includes introducing spelling, multiple teacher models, guided practice using resources from the unit's activity book, and brief independent practice to reinforce learning. During guided practice, students are shown seven words beginning with or including the letter c. These words are embedded in sentences that the teacher reads aloud. For example, the first sentence is, She is a good dancer. The lesson plan instructs the teacher to initially mispronounce dancer as /d/ /a/ /n/ /k/ /er/. Once the students recognize that this pronunciation is incorrect, the teacher models the correct pronunciation, reading the word as /d/ /a/ /n/ /s/ /er/. The students then write dancer under the s column on their activity page.

Evaluation for 4.1b
Materials include explicit (direct) and intentional daily opportunities for phonics (sound-symbol correspondence) and foundational skills.

• The materials include explicit and intentional phonics lessons with teacher-led instruction that clearly teaches skills through concise explanations, modeling, practice, and feedback. For example, the materials guide the time spent on each lesson component (e.g., phonics and reading connected text), ensuring daily phonics practice. Each lesson plan includes a sequenced list of components with recommended times for each. In grade 1, lesson durations range from 5–45 minutes. For example, Unit 7, Lesson 11 allocates 20 minutes for teaching the spelling alternatives for /oe/, divided between introducing the spelling and adding it to the "spelling tree."
• The materials provide daily opportunities for explicit phonics instruction and practice across the year. For example, in grade 1, each lesson begins with a phonics review warm-up, followed by explicit phonics instruction and practice. For example, the foundational skills component in Unit 6, Lesson 7, begins with a 15-minute review on segmenting and blending two-syllable words. This review includes teacher modeling and guided practice with the words classroom, cardboard, pancake, backpack, and hometown. Following the review, there is a 5-minute practice session focused on open and closed syllables. The teacher dictates the words swimming, rotten, popping, bacon, rodent, and zebra for students to write in their dictation journals. During

Evaluation for 4.1c
Materials include practice of phonics skills both in isolation and through decodable texts.

• Materials include practice of phonics skills both in isolation and through decodable texts. In Unit 3, Lesson 10 of the materials includes practice with the tricky word down in isolation and through decodable texts. The teacher first models the sounds in down as /d/ /ou/ /n/ and then uses the word in the sentence. She is walking down the stairs. The students are to write the word on an index card and highlight the tricky part, -ow. The tricky word down is featured in the decodable text for Lesson 10, The Dog and the Mule.
• The materials include isolated phonics skills practice. For example, in grade 1, Unit 5, Lesson 6, students are introduced to the sound and spelling for /ch/ through -ch and -tch as separate components. The teacher models the sound and spelling multiple times, after which students engage in guided and independent practice using a page from the activity books. The teacher reads the words on the activity page aloud during guided practice. The words include kitchen, chips, scratch, chin, which, and catch. The lesson plans direct the teacher to complete the first fill-in-the-blank as a class. The sentence reads, ____ book is this?
• Additionally, the materials provide decodable texts to practice phonics, reading, and writing skills in context. In Unit 5, Lesson 6, students are expected to decode words with initial and final consonant blends, including -sh for /sh/, -tch for /ch/, and -ch for /ch/. The Introduce the Story section of the lesson plan offers instructions for presenting tricky words, such as batch, fetch, and scratches, before reading the story

Evaluation for 4.1d
Materials include opportunities for cumulative review of previously taught skills.

• The materials offer daily opportunities for cumulative review of previously taught phonics skills during the foundational skills practice at the beginning of each lesson. Typically, the practice consists of a 10 to 35-minute review of skills such as segmenting and blending and the sounds and spellings taught in earlier units and lessons. For example, in Unit 2, Lesson 5, students decode words with /a/ > 'a' and /ae/ > 'a_e.' Additional cumulative review opportunities, such as tricky word recognition, are included in Unit 5, Lesson 8.
• For further cumulative review, the materials feature "Pausing Points" at the end of each unit. Pausing Points are activities and additional support lessons that review the skills taught within the unit. Teachers can use these materials to supplement instruction or remediate. In grade 1, Unit 7, Pausing Points cover a variety of skills, including recognizing and writing taught spellings, reading, writing, or spelling words with spelling alternatives, and reading and writing phrases and sentences. The Unit 7 Pausing Point on consonant blends instructs the teacher to use a scripted routine to practice blending and segmenting. The teacher introduces the word, explain, and highlights the sounds /p/ and /l/. With the class, they are to practice blending the two sounds and saying pl and noting how it feels on their tongue. The practice continues with the words plane, planet, split and apply. Lastly, the students are to identify the blends and determine their location in the words.

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

• Daily lessons include specific terms, phrasing, and statements for teachers to use during core instruction to model new phonics skills. For example, a lesson plan in grade 1, Unit 2, instructs the teacher to: "Tell students that today's sound is /ee/ as in feet. Have students say the /ee/ sound several times. Ask students to repeat words with the /ee/ sound at the beginning (eat, each, east, eagle), in the middle (peace, greet, meat, heat), and at the end (bee, me, key, tree). Ask if /ee/ is a vowel or consonant sound (it is a vowel sound made with an open mouth and unobstructed airflow). Say a number of words and have students close their eyes and listen. Tell them to raise their hands when they hear a word with the /ee/ sound in the middle."
• Daily lessons include opportunities for direct and explicit instruction with modeling. For example, the lesson plan in grade 1, Unit 3, Lesson 7, has the teacher model how to spell the tricky word should. The teacher uses the word should in a sentence and asks students how they think it is spelled. Teacher directions explain how students will likely spell it because of their past knowledge of the spelling for /oo/. The lesson instructs the teacher to write the correct spelling of should on the board. The teacher circles each sound, explaining that /sh/ and /d/ at the beginning and end of the word are spelled as expected, but "oul" in the middle is the tricky part.
• The materials include daily modeling with elements of explicit instruction, such as identifying skills to be learned, communicating clear objectives, providing precise directions using academic language, and connecting new learning to prior knowledge. For example, in Unit 4, Lesson 7, the lesson plan introduces two-syllable words. The teacher models using finger-tapping gestures to practice segmenting words like hat, shark, and bike and asks students how many sounds are in each word and how many vowel sounds are in each word. The teacher guides students in clapping their hands for each syllable. Explicit instruction for counting syllables in two-syllable words states explicitly, "Explain that a word with two vowel sounds is a two-syllable word. Say bathtub and ask students to repeat it, holding their hands under their chin to feel the vowel sounds. Ask how many vowel sounds they hear (two), how many syllables (two), and then have them clap twice for the syllables in bathtub." The lesson concludes with a quick formative assessment.

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

• Each daily phonics lesson includes specific and precise terms, phrasing, and statements that teachers can use during core instruction to guide students' practice and application of new phonics skills. For example, a grade 1 lesson from Unit 7, Lesson 7, includes the following script: "Look at each word in the box below and notice where they are marked with a syllable divider. Say the first word (display). Repeat the word, pausing slightly between the syllables. Say the first syllable in a segmented fashion, marking each sound with a thumb-finger tap, beginning with a thumb-forefinger tap (/d/ /i/ /s/). Say the second syllable in a segmented fashion, returning to the thumb-forefinger tap for the first sound (/p/ /l/ /ae/). Say the blended word while making a fist. Have students repeat after you." The teacher continues this process with the remaining words and then asks students to help guide the word's spelling.
• Daily phonics lessons include immediate feedback in the Support sections in the margin of the teacher guide. For example, Unit 3, Lesson 4 provides suggested feedback for students struggling to pronounce vowel sounds accurately, "If students are having difficulty pronouncing the vowel sounds accurately, have them say the words knit, net, gnat, nut, and not in this order and then in reverse order before having them say the sounds in isolation." Daily reading lessons include opportunities for immediate feedback in differentiated small groups. In grade 1, Unit 3, Lesson 4, the teacher is instructed to form two small groups. Students in group one work with the teacher and "need more direct support and immediate feedback," while students in group two read with partners. The margin of the teacher's guide includes language support and provides suggestions for teachers to use during the text discussion for students of various language levels. A specific example for a beginning language learner states, "Ask yes/no questions using simple phrases: "Does the tame dog get food from the men?" "Does the thin dog run off?"

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

• Lessons utilizing decodable text encourage teachers to have students work in partners or small groups. For instance, in grade 1, Unit 4, Lesson 3, students practice reading words with the /er/ sound spelled 'er.' In this lesson, the teacher divides students into two groups to read the assigned decodable text. Group one, which benefits from immediate feedback and teacher support, reads with the teacher. Students in group two collaborate by partner-reading the assigned text. This activity occurs daily.
• The lesson plans provide daily guidance for teachers on how students can work independently or collaboratively. For example, a grade 1 lesson includes an exit ticket that formatively assesses students' understanding of the tricky spelling c. The lesson gives the teacher autonomy in how students complete the activity. The teacher's guidance is "Give each student a word card prepared in advance. Have students read the word on their cards. This activity may be done individually or with a partner. Circulate to listen to each student read the word on their card." Formative assessments such as this one occur daily.
• The lesson plans specify which page in the student activity book to use for daily independent practice. For example, Unit 5, Lesson 6, Spelling Alternatives for /ch/, allows students to practice ch spelling alternatives using an activity page. This activity requires students to select words from a given list to fill in the blanks in six sentences using either the -ch or -tch spelling for /ch/. In Unit 6, Lesson 10, students practice spelling one-syllable words with spelling alternatives for the /s/ and /z/ sounds. The independent practice includes an activity page where students listen to the teacher's dictation, scribe the words, and later correct their work.

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

• The materials include review lessons that reinforce previously taught skills without introducing new ones. In Unit 3, Lesson 18, students review vowel sounds and spellings, including diphthongs, variant vowel teams, and simple vowel teams. The teacher's directions clearly indicate that this is an intentional review activity. The teacher says a word with vowel spellings learned using individual code charts, and students listen carefully to the vowel sound.
• The materials integrate intentional practice activities throughout the curriculum. In grade 1, Unit 4, Lesson 2, students contrast words with /er/ spelled 'er' and words with the previously learned sound-spelling pattern -r. Instructions in the lesson plan state: "Tell students that they will now practice reading and writing words with the /er/ sound." The teacher then explains that the words in the box contain either the sound /r/ spelled -r or the sound /er/ spelled -er. The words in the box are read together as a class, and students circle the target spellings -r and -er in the words.
• Unit 6 offers another example of intentional cumulative review. In Lesson 22, students review vowel digraphs during the foundational skills portion. The lesson guides the teacher in quickly reviewing the sounds before moving on to a dictation activity where students write the words they hear. The activity concludes with the teacher writing the words on the board so students can self-correct their work.
• Another example of intentional practice comes from Unit 7. In Lesson 5, students practice the spelling alternatives for the /ae/ sound and review the r-controlled vowel sounds /er/, /ar/, and /or/. The practice includes two activity pages: on the first page, students choose the sentence that describes the picture, while on the second page, they read a given word and write it below the corresponding picture.

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

• The practice opportunities in the grade 1 materials focus on phonics skills explicitly taught during the foundational skills portion of each lesson. For example, students continue to practice independently after a detailed lesson on the sound /ae/ and the spelling -a_e, which includes teacher modeling and guided practice. In this practice activity, students segment and write the words spoken by the teacher.
• Another example is in Unit 2, Lesson 1, where the sound /ee/ and the spelling as -ee are introduced during the foundational skills portion. Students then practice this skill in groups using an activity page to review the sound-spelling/ee/. The activity directs students to trace, copy, and read words like bee, seen, and feet. The second part of the activity requires students to write words like queen, bee, seep, and teeth under their corresponding pictures.
• Students also apply skills from previous lessons during guided practice. For instance, in Unit 2, Lesson 10, students review previously learned vowel spellings using their code charts. During this activity, students race to find the correct sound-spelling correspondence for words dictated by the teacher.

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

• The materials provide guidance on which decodable texts should be used for cumulative practice after lessons. For example, in Unit 1, Lesson 19, the teacher is instructed to use the decodable text, Beth, during modeling and practice. The text includes features for the teacher to highlight as they read. For instance, the letter -e is underlined in the word the. The lesson plan instructs the teacher to "Point to the word the. Say, 'Remember that the is a Tricky Word you have learned. The letter -e is underlined because that is the part of the word that is not sounded /e/ as we might expect.'"
• The decodable texts in grade 1 only include phonics skills and irregular high-frequency words that have been taught. For example, after an explicit lesson on vowel teams and reviewing the sound-spelling for /e/, students read the decodable text The Pet. The text includes the words pet and teeth so that students can practice decoding the sounds from the lesson. It also consists of the tricky words he and be taught before the lesson's reading portion.
• The decodable texts incorporate cumulative practice by increasing in complexity. For example, the texts included in Unit 6 are longer than those in previous units. They no longer feature the dot marking the division of syllables in multisyllabic words as a support for students. For students needing support reading these words, the teacher may "review how to clap the syllables of a word, and the three-step method for reading multisyllabic words: first sound and blend the spellings in the first syllable, then sound and blend the spellings in the second syllable, and finally put them together." Teachers introduced both of these suggested supports in previous units.

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

• After explicit instruction on a sound-spelling pattern, students practice decoding words that include that pattern in connected text. For instance, in Unit 3, Lesson 9, students learn the sound and spelling of /ou/. In Lesson 10, they apply their learning by reading the decodable text The Dog and the Mule, where they decode the words shout and out.
• The materials include lessons with an instructional focus and opportunities for isolated practice. At the beginning of each lesson, the teacher guide provides explicit instructions and practice with sound-spelling patterns, including words in isolation. For example, Unit 3, Lesson 9, introduces students to the sound and spelling of /ou/. The lesson begins with a quick review of previously learned vowel spellings. The teacher then introduces the sound /ou/ and models it with words such as shout, ouch, out, and owl. After guided practice, the lesson continues with introducing the spelling -ou. The lesson concludes with students independently practicing the sound and spelling /ou/ on an activity page. During this independent practice, students write the words out, mouth, and shout while saying the sounds. They then read and match the words cloud, snout, mouth, couch, and round to their corresponding pictures.
• Unit 5 offers another example of a lesson with an instructional focus and opportunities for isolated practice. In Lesson 6, the lesson plan provides explicit instructions for teaching spelling alternatives for /ch/, including reviewing -ch and introducing -tch. The directions state: "Tell students that you will review the basic code spelling for /ch/ and introduce a new spelling alternative." After reviewing /ch/ with the words chin and munch, the teacher introduces /ch/ using the word itch. The lesson proceeds with further modeling, guided practice, and independent practice. Additionally, after foundational skills lessons, students practice these new skills in connected text. In Unit 5, Lesson 6, after being explicitly taught the spelling alternative -tch for the sound /ch/, students practice decoding words like batch, fetch, and switched while reading the decodable text The Coin Shop.

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

• The grade 1 materials include a Beginning-of-the-Year Placement Assessment in Unit 1. This assessment evaluates all students for grade-level readiness and identifies gaps in their learning and understanding. It also provides guidance for student groupings and informs small group instruction. The materials include a Middle-of-the-Year Assessment in Unit 4 and a cumulative End-of-the-Year Assessment in Unit 7. Each assessment consists of a class summary recording sheet and an overview summary sheet for individual student results.
• The materials include formative assessments in various formats to measure student learning and guide instructional decisions. For instance, Unit 3, Lesson 1 includes several formative assessments with varying tasks, including an anecdotal reading, discussion questions about the story King Log and King Crane, and an activity page with questions based on the story. The discussion questions are categorized as literal, inferential, and evaluative.
• Cumulative Unit Assessments are offered at the end of each unit. These assessments reflect increasingly complex skills as the year progresses. They assess student mastery of grade-level skills taught in the unit and provide teachers with data to reteach specific skills to students before moving on to the next unit. For example, Lesson 22 in Unit 5 administers two assessments for the Unit. One assessment assesses word recognition skills that target the sound-spelling correspondences taught throughout the Unit.
• The materials also offer informal assessments that provide immediate feedback, enabling teachers to adjust their instructional approaches as needed. Quick "Checks for Understanding" are incorporated into various lessons. For instance, in Unit 5, Lesson 6, the Check for Understanding assesses students' ability to produce the sound /ch/ and recognize the spellings 'ch' and 'tch.' The directions state, "Call on individual students and ask them to produce the sound /ch/ and the two ways to spell /ch/: 'ch' and 'tch.'"

Evaluation for 4.4b
Materials include clear, consistent directions for accurate administration of assessments.

• The materials provide clear guidance to assist teachers in efficiently administering assessments. Detailed directions specify when to transition to the next task and when to conclude the assessment. For example, in Unit 1, students undergo a word recognition assessment in Lesson 6, with explicit administration and scoring instructions included in the lesson plans. The test directions suggest the teacher distribute the correlating Activity Page and give each student a blank sheet of paper to use for tracking. The teacher explains that students must listen carefully as each word is said aloud. The teacher reads a word for each number and instructs the students to find and circle it in the corresponding row. For example, the teacher says, "Find the first row of words. Listen carefully to this word: mat. I will repeat it: mat. Now find and circle the word you heard." The teacher repeats each word at least twice and proceeds through the list of words. Afterward, the teacher collects the completed activity pages and scores items 1–20, noting specific errors and recording each student's score on the Placement Planning Sheet. Items 21–25, which are Tricky Words, do not factor into the overall score. Students who score 18 out of 20 or above demonstrate strong word recognition skills and move on to the Independent Story Reading Assessment in Lesson 7. Teachers assess students scoring 17 or less individually using the Pseudoword Reading Assessment.
• The materials offer consistent guidance and aid teachers in administering assessments efficiently. Starting in Unit 3, weekly spelling lists and assessments are introduced. These lists consist of various sound-spelling correspondences previously taught for decoding. Each spelling assessment follows a structured routine: the teacher reads each word, uses it in a sentence, allows time for students to write it down, and then repeats the word. After all words are called out, the teacher dictates a sentence incorporating one of the spelling words, which students write on the back of their activity page.
• Unit finals include summative performance assessments, offering clear, consistent directions for accurate administration. In Unit 5, for instance, the summative performance assessment is divided into two parts. In Lesson 22, Part 1 involves a word recognition assessment, while Part 2 focuses on grammar. Directions for the grammar assessment within the lesson plans are detailed and provide teachers with information about which Activity Page students should use and how to explain each assessment section to students.

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

• The materials recommend embedded systematic observations of students' everyday activities and interactions to track progress and assess skills in authentic situations. According to the Assessment Guide, "Examples of assessment tools for progress monitoring include the 'Grammar Observation Record' in grade 1." In Unit 4, Lesson 18, there is a specific focus on progress monitoring for grammar. In this case, the teacher will use the Grammar Progress Monitoring Record sheet in the Teacher Resources section as a guide for recording and keeping track of individual student skill acquisition.
• The materials provide progress monitoring tools that accurately measure students' acquisition of grade-level phonics skills. Each unit includes a cumulative test in the final lessons to assess students' acquisition of the phonics skills taught within that unit. Additionally, the materials include an assessment recording sheet and an end-of-unit assessment analysis, both located in each teacher guide.

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

• According to the Assessment Guidance document in the online materials, "teachers have multiple opportunities to review and assess student growth and mastery of skills needed for grade-level success in reading. The program includes both anecdotal and observational assessments that teachers can implement to evaluate student progress with grade-level skills during class instruction. Teachers can assess skills in phonics (including print concepts), fluency, and comprehension in small-group and 1:1 settings without disrupting class instruction." Each lesson's overview identifies these assessments.
•  The materials recommend formally assessing grade 1 students at least three times during the school year: a beginning-of-year placement assessment, a mid-year assessment, and an end-of-year assessment. Additionally, the materials embed assessment opportunities throughout the lessons to determine if students are progressing adequately with the instruction provided. For example, Unit 4, Lesson 25 includes a Unit Dictation Assessment as an example of a formative assessment aligned to progress monitoring. In this assessment, students demonstrate their knowledge of spelling dictated words with the /ar/, /er/, and /or/ sounds. The instructions in the Teacher's Guide instruct teachers on how to administer the assessment, beginning with, "Tell students to take out a pencil and a piece of paper." The directions continue with step-by-step directions for the teacher and end with, "Write the words on the board/chart paper, and have students self-correct with a colored pencil."
• An example of a formative assessment aligned to progress monitoring occurs in grade 1, Unit 5, Lesson 22. Students complete the cumulative unit assessments for word recognition and grammar during the lesson. Student performance on these assessments is noted and monitored from unit to unit. The assessment includes students reading sentences, circling the nouns, and underlining the verbs with a squiggly line. In the following assessment part, the students determine the sentence type and add the correct punctuation mark. For the third part, the students expand each sentence by adding an adjective to describe the noun and indicate where the action occurs. In the final part, students write the plural form of each given noun.

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

• The Teacher Resources section in each teacher guide includes various tracking forms for recording observations of student progress. For example, Unit 1 offers several forms and charts to track student progress. These include a Placement Planning Sheet, Pseudoword Reading Assessment, One-on-One Story Reading Assessment, and Code Knowledge Diagnostic Assessment. Additionally, there are Sample Oral Blending and Segmenting Observation Records, Oral Blending and Segmenting Observation Records, Sample Discussion Questions Observation Records, Discussion Questions Observation Records, Sample Anecdotal Reading Records, and Anecdotal Reading Records.
• The materials include data-management tools for tracking student progress and making informed instructional decisions to accelerate learning. For example, in grade 1, Unit 5, Lesson 5, students complete a spelling assessment. The teacher uses the Lesson 5 analysis chart and directions provided in Teacher Resources to analyze students' mistakes. The chart offers guidance for analyzing errors in each column of the spelling assessment. For instance, if a student makes a mistake in Column 3, it indicates difficulty with encoding the consonant digraph 'sh' (/sh/ sound), which suggests a struggle with understanding that two letters can represent one sound. The teacher should refer to previous lessons, including Additional Support, for more exercises and targeted lessons to address this.

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

• The materials include data-management tools for tracking whole-class student progress, assisting teachers in analyzing patterns, and addressing student needs. These tools are located at the back of the Teacher Guide for each unit. For example, in grade 1, Unit 3, the Teacher Resources section includes a tricky word assessment record, discussion question observation record, and a record sheet for the Unit 3 assessment.
• Additional data-management tools for tracking whole-class student progress in grade 1 can be found in Unit 5. This unit includes a tricky word assessment record, an anecdotal reading record, an analysis of student errors record for Lessons 5, 10, 15, and 20, and a word recognition assessment class record. These materials are also located in the Teacher Resources section at the end of the Teacher Guide.

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

• The materials provide specific guidance on determining the frequency of progress monitoring based on students' strengths and needs, as outlined in the Assessment Guidance document available in the online materials. The document recommends that Tier 1 students be monitored three times a year (beginning, middle, and end) with an accuracy goal of 80%. Those who meet the goal stay in Tier 1, while those who do not move to Tier 2. Tier 2 students are monitored weekly with the same 80% accuracy goal. Students who meet this goal may stay in Tier 2 or return to Tier 1, but those who do not move to Tier 3. Tier 3 students are monitored 1–2 times weekly with an 80% accuracy goal. Students meeting this goal may move to Tier 2 or remain in Tier 3, while those who do not stay in Tier 3.

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 Assessment Guidance document includes a chart outlining best practices for classroom progress monitoring planning and implementation. It recommends that, whenever possible, all students receive Tier 1 grade-level instruction daily, with additional time allocated for Tier 2 (Targeted Intervention) or Tier 3 (Intensive Intervention) as needed. The chart specifies each tier's recommended group size, duration, weekly session frequency, and progress monitoring frequency.
• Additionally, the chart features a section titled Next Steps, which guides what to do for students who do or do not meet the goal. For example, it suggests that students receiving Tier 2 instruction who meet the goal should either move to Tier 1 or continue in Tier 2. Students in Tier 2 who do not meet the goal should either remain in Tier 2 or move to Tier 3.

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).

• The materials include scripted instructions and prompts to ensure explicit instruction for developing oral language and oracy. For example, Unit 1, Lesson 3 explicitly teaches students how to engage in "Turn and Talk" in a lesson that teaches students about tricky word, a. They start by pointing to the word a in the sentence "This is a book" and ask students to think of another word that could complete the sentence, focusing on something in the classroom. After giving students time to think, the teacher selects a volunteer to model the activity. The teacher and the volunteer take turns completing the sentence, asking clarifying questions, and sharing each other's responses. The teacher emphasizes that each person should share their partner's answer, not their own. After modeling, the teacher guides the students to do the same with their partners, signaling when both have shared. Finally, the teacher calls on a student to share their partner's answer with the class and checks for accuracy, offering feedback or corrections as needed. Materials explicitly recommend times when teachers should use "Turn and Talk" in lessons. For example, in Unit 1, Lesson 16, the section on Tricky Words recommends teachers use the strategy. The lesson includes the reminder, "If needed, briefly model the activity again and provide coaching if needed. The modeling routine can be found on p. 47." In Unit 1, Lesson 20, the lesson encourages the use of "Turn and Talk" and "Think-Pair-Share" exchanges. The lesson recommends students use a visual cue to indicate when both partners have contributed to the conversation. The lesson suggests teachers use the signal to determine who is ready and who may need additional assistance.
• Materials include opportunities for students to engage in purposeful conversations that encourage active listening. For example, in Unit 1, Lesson 18, the students engage in a "Think-Pair-Share" activity. After the activity, the teacher calls on students to share their responses. The lesson recommends the teacher asks students, "if they made any changes to their answer after the partners shared with each other. If so, ask what changes were made and why."

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

• Scripted lesson plans are included within the materials to give students opportunities to engage in communication for various purposes and audiences. In Unit 1, Lesson 3, the tricky words a and I are introduced. Students turn and talk using sentences with these words to practice pronouncing them correctly. They are given the sentence stem, "This is a …" and encouraged to find something in the room to complete the sentence. Another sentence stem, "I like to …" is provided for practicing the word I.
• The materials offer opportunities for students to engage in social communication before reading the decodable text, The Bug Glass, in Unit 2, Lesson 10. The lesson plan instructs the teacher to facilitate a discussion around the term bug glass. The Teacher Guide states, "Ask, 'Who can tell us what you think a bug glass is? Turn to a partner and share what you think a bug glass is.'"
• The materials also promote academic communication for various purposes and audiences, including teachers, peers, and small groups. For instance, in Unit 5, Lesson 4, students practice the spelling alternatives for the sound /k/. They work with a partner to read words with the sound /k/ spelled c, k, ck, and cc and discuss their placement on the Spelling Tree. Students then present their decisions to the class, who in turn provide confirmation or corrective feedback.

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.

• The materials include discussion questions, conversation starters, and guidelines for effective discussions. For example, grade 1 materials feature conversation prompts and supports, such as sentence stems, to help students organize and share their thoughts. In Unit 4, Lesson 6, during a phonics activity focused on reviewing the /er/ and /ar/ sounds and their basic code spellings, the class completes an activity page as guided practice. This activity requires students to select the word from a given list that best completes each sentence. The materials instruct the teacher to "encourage students to expand and/or build upon other students' responses and orally produce a sentence that has an /er/ word and a sentence that has an /ar/ word."
• The materials provide authentic opportunities for students to share information and ideas. In Unit 1, Lesson 1, students are shown a card displaying code information for the sound /a/ spelled a and /i/ spelled i. They are then asked to summarize the information learned during the review.
• The materials promote active listening during lessons and offer opportunities to build student oracy by responding to texts, answering questions, and sharing information and ideas with peers during direct instruction. In grade 1, Unit 6, Lesson 18, students interact with partners to summarize the three parts of Grace's act from the story Grace the Performer. The materials include sentence stems with transition words and phrases, such as "Next…" and "At the end…," to assist students who struggle with the activity. In Unit 1, Lesson 19, students have the opportunity to ask questions during the lesson on tricky words. Using the tricky word card for who, students are to turn and talk using the word who to start a question.

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

Evaluation for 5.C.1b (grade K only)
Materials include guidance for the teacher 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)

Evaluation for 5.C.1c (grade K only)
Materials include guidance for the teacher 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)

Evaluation for 5.C.1d (grade K only)
Materials include a variety of activities and 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)

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

• The materials systematically introduce letter-sound relationships, starting with a review of basic code spellings for long vowel sounds in Unit 2. The introduction of the most common spellings for the vowel sounds /oo/, /oo/, /ou/, /oi/, and /aw/ occurs in Unit 3. Spelling alternatives are introduced throughout the materials, culminating with the final introduction of a new letter-sound relationship in Unit 7, Lesson 11, with /oe/ as oa.
• ·The materials begin introducing advanced code spelling alternatives in Unit 5, with Units 5 and 6 focusing specifically on consonant sound-spellings, which are less frequently used than vowel sounds. The materials provide guidance on the most common sounds introduced in each lesson and identify their common spelling patterns. For example, in Unit 5, Lesson 9, the materials introduce the spellings ge and g for the sound /j/. Using a chart, the materials inform the teacher that /j/ spelled g as in gem is the most common spelling, with j as a close second. The lesson plans also highlight patterns to be aware of, such as "g (never j) is used with separated vowel digraphs (age, huge)."
• The materials provide specific steps and terminology for teachers to use in each lesson to explicitly teach letter-sound relationships. In Unit 4, Lesson 4, students decode words with r-controlled syllables. The lesson plans instruct teachers to "Write 'ar' on the handwriting guidelines and explain that the two letters work together as a team to stand for the /ar/ sound. Model writing the spelling two or three more times." The lesson continues by having teachers
• "Explain that the sound /ar/ is not the same as the sound /a/ followed by the sound /r/." The teacher reads pairs of words as students listen for the /ar/ sound, and students refer to their Individual Code Chart to trace the code information related to the sounds.

Evaluation for 5.C.2b
Materials include guidance for the teacher 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)

• In grade 1, Unit 3 materials, the sounds /ue/, /oo/, /oo/, and /u/ are introduced. These sounds may sound similar to some students, potentially causing confusion. The /ue/ sound in cute combines /y/ and /oo/, which some students might mistake for the /oo/ sound. Additionally, the /oo/ sound in soon is somewhat similar to the /oo/ sound in look, and their shared spelling can add to the confusion. The /oo/ sound in look can also be confused with the /u/ sound in luck. The materials suggest that if students are mixing up these sounds, extra time should be dedicated to oral discrimination exercises where students practice listening for specific sounds or distinguishing between similar ones. It is noted that the Pausing Points include a variety of these exercises.
• The materials provide explicit guidance for teachers to deliver direct instruction on connecting phonemes to letters within words, along with recommended support for common student errors. In Unit 6, Lesson 1, the teacher reviews the spellings for /s/, including s and ss. The lesson continues with the introduction of the spelling alternative c for /s/ with the words cell and cinch. After guided practice, the lesson concludes with a brief check for understanding. For students who continue to be confused by the spelling alternatives, the materials suggest drawing two distinct flowers, such as a tulip and a daisy, on the board or chart paper and explaining that "in the same way that we can draw different pictures of a flower, we can draw different pictures of the /s/ sound."
•  The online materials include a Corrective Feedback Planning Tool document. This document includes common issues students may encounter with phonological/phonemic awareness, letter-sound correspondences, and phonics/decoding, along with corrective feedback suggestions for each of these areas. One example from the document of scripted feedback for students who exhibit difficulty connecting sounds to letters and understanding letter-sound correspondences is the following sentence stem: "Remember, the letter… says the sound like in the word... Can you say that sound for me?"

Evaluation for 5.C.2c (grades 2 and 3 only)
Materials include a variety of activities and 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)

Evaluation for 5.C.2c (grades K and 1 only)
Materials include a variety of activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce (through cumulative review) their understanding of applying letter-sound correspondence to decode one syllable words in isolation and decodable connected text. (PR 2.A & 2.A.3)

• Throughout the program, students apply their understanding of letter-sound correspondence to decode one-syllable words in connected decodable texts. For instance, in grade 1, Unit 2, Lesson 7, students read the decodable text At the Reef, applying their knowledge of long vowel decoding. The teacher begins by reviewing a chart of words that follow the relevant sound-spelling patterns. As the teacher reads the story aloud, students follow along with their fingers in the text. They then read At the Reef either with partners or in small groups, depending on their abilities, and complete comprehension questions on an activity page.
•  The materials provide a range of activities and resources designed to help students develop, practice, and reinforce their understanding of letter-sound correspondence. In grade 1, Unit 2, students receive explicit instruction on long vowel spelling patterns, with opportunities for practice throughout the lessons. For example, in Lesson 6, students focus on the i_e correspondence through a dictation activity where the teacher calls out words, and students write them on an activity page. This dictation practice occurs in every lesson that introduces a long vowel pattern. After modeling, the teacher guides students to write the words sound by sound and use each word in a sentence.
• The materials support students in applying their letter-sound knowledge to decode one-syllable words in decodable connected text. The Unit 5 decodable reader provides students with opportunities to practice reading while applying their understanding of letter-sound correspondence. The final two pages of the reader outline the assumed code knowledge at the start, as well as the additional code knowledge introduced throughout the unit.
• The materials include various activities aimed at helping students develop, practice, and reinforce their comprehension of letter-sound correspondence, which is essential for decoding one-syllable words. Each unit includes an activity book and decodable readers that contain various exercises. In Unit 5, for instance, students focus on spelling patterns for words ending in -ing and -ed. Specifically, in Lesson 1, students engage in an activity that requires them to complete sentences to practice the /p/ sound.

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

•  The materials include a systematic sequence for introducing phonological awareness activities. The skills presented progress from simple to complex. In Unit 2, Lesson 1, students focus on the phoneme sound level to read and spell words with the long "e" sound. In Unit 2, Lesson 6, students listen to a list of words read by the teacher to distinguish between short and long i sounds.
• The materials include a systematic sequence for introducing phonological awareness activities in accordance with grade-level TEKS. The materials include phonological activities using alliteration. For example, in Unit 5, Lesson 1, students use the /p/ sound to complete the missing word from a sentence. In Unit 5, Lesson 11, students listen to a tongue twister, Tim told Tina not to twist and turn or the /t/. After the teacher recites the tongue twister, the students name the sound they hear often. Students distinguish between long and short vowel sounds in activities. For example, in Unit 2, Lesson 1, the teacher reads a list of one-syllable words containing either short e, long e, or short i while students close their eyes. The students raise their hands when they hear a word with long e.

Evaluation for 5.D.1b (grades K–2 only)
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)

• The materials utilize the gradual release of responsibility model to teach and practice newly acquired skills and strategies. For example, in Unit 3, when teaching grade 1 students the sound /oo/, the teacher begins by informing students about the new sound they will be learning. The lesson continues with the teacher modeling the sound and having the students repeat it several times. Direct instruction emphasizes the differences between /oo/ and /ue/. During this phase, suggested supports are included to help students distinguish between words like food and feud, which may be challenging due to the similar sounds. Teachers are advised, "The purpose of this activity is for students to listen for the different sounds in each word, not to learn new vocabulary. However, it may be helpful to pause after each word and use it in a sentence so students understand that two different words are being said." The lesson concludes with a check for understanding; here, students indicate with a thumbs up or down if the words presented by the teacher include the sound /oo/.
•  The materials also provide specific terms, phrasing, and statements for teachers to use during instruction. For instance, the directions in Unit 4, Lesson 7 state, "Explain that you can count how many syllables are in a word if you know how many vowel sounds are in the word: a word has the same number of syllables as it has vowel sounds. Repeat the word hat and again ask students how many vowel sounds they hear. (one) Then, ask how many syllables are in the word hat. (one)"
• The online materials include a Corrective Feedback Planning Tool to assist teachers in providing targeted and meaningful corrective feedback. This tool offers a structured framework for identifying areas of improvement, delivering specific feedback, and supporting student learning outcomes, creating a focused and individualized approach to instruction. For example, it lists common issues students may encounter with phonological awareness, such as difficulty recognizing and manipulating sounds within words and challenges with rhyming, blending, or segmenting sounds. For students struggling with these areas, the tool provides guidance to frame feedback in a supportive and instructive manner: "Let's practice rhyming words that sound similar, like… and..."

Evaluation for 5.D.1c (grades K–2 only)
Materials include a variety of activities and 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)

• In Unit 1, Lesson 1, the materials introduce kinesthetic motions for students to use while blending and segmenting sounds. When blending, students start by segmenting the word, marking each sound with a thumb-finger tap, beginning with a thumb-forefinger tap. To blend the sounds and produce the word, students form a fist with their hand as they say it. For segmenting, students use their fingers, wiggling one finger for each sound spoken or heard in the given word.
•  The materials offer various resources, including games, rhymes, stories, and manipulatives, to practice and reinforce phonological awareness skills. In Unit 4, Lesson 2, students review the sound /er/ through an activity called Tongue Twister. In this activity, students listen to a tongue twister and raise their hands when they hear the target /er/ sound. Using the established oral segmenting routine, students practice segmenting words from the tongue twister, such as sir, stir, swirl, and surf. The activity concludes with students repeating the tongue twister while the teacher circulates, ensuring the correct production of the /er/ sound.
• The activities and resources in the materials provide opportunities for cumulative review to reinforce phonological awareness skills. In Unit 5, Lesson 19, students practice the /l/ and /r/ sounds in an activity called the Sound Discrimination Game. Before starting the game, the teacher reviews the /l/ sound, allowing students to practice hearing and producing the sound. During the game, students listen for the target sound, raising one finger if the word begins with /l/ and two fingers if the word starts with /r/.

Evaluation for 5.D.2a (grades K–2 only)
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 a systematic sequence for introducing phonemic awareness activities that begin with identifying, blending, and segmenting phonemes and gradually transition to more complex manipulation practices such as adding, deleting, and substituting phonemes. In Unit 1, students start by blending phonemes, including consonant blends, to form one-syllable words. In Units 2 and 3, the focus remains on blending phonemes and consonant blends to create words while also introducing the skills of adding, deleting, and substituting syllables to create new words.
• The materials continue to progress in Unit 4, as students begin dividing multi-syllable words into parts while continuing to blend phonemes and consonant blends. Units 5–7 build on this foundation by having students segment and blend two-syllable words, including those with consonant blends. This systematic approach progresses from simple to more complex skills.
• The progression of skills from simpler to more complex shows throughout the lesson. In Unit 3, Lesson 4, students learn to blend one-syllable words containing the sound /oo/, such as broom and noon. In later units, they progress to segmenting words into individual phonemes. For example, in Unit 6, students practice segmenting words like classroom, cardboard, and pancake into their individual phonemes.

Evaluation for 5.D.2b (grades K–2 only)
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)

• The lesson plans provide specific and precise terms, phrasing, and statements for teachers to use during instruction. In Unit 2, Lesson 6, the Teacher Guide prompts the teacher to complete specific actions and make direct statements to students, such as, "Ask students to repeat the following words that have the /ie/ sound at the beginning: ice, item, idea, island," and, "Have students close their eyes and listen carefully. Tell students to raise their hands when they hear a word that has the /ie/ sound as its middle sound."
• The lessons that teach and practice newly taught skills or strategies employ the gradual release of the responsibility model (I do, we do, you do). For example, in Unit 3, Lesson 9, when introducing the sound /ou/, the Teacher Guide includes a script to help students identify this sound in spoken words. The script instructs teachers to tell students they will learn the sound /ou/ as in shout, model the sound, and have them say the /ou/ sound several times, stretching it out. The teacher is then to say words containing the /ou/ sound at the beginning, such as ouch, out, and owl; in the middle, like shout, loud, round, couch, and hound; and at the end, such as how, now, and cow, with the students repeating. Finally, teachers should ask students whether /ou/ is a vowel or consonant sound, explaining that it is a vowel sound made with an open mouth and unobstructed airflow.
• The online materials include the Corrective Feedback Planning Tool. This tool offers a structured framework for pinpointing areas needing improvement, delivering specific feedback, and tracking student progress over time. By implementing this tool, teachers can improve the quality of their feedback, support student learning outcomes, and create a more focused and individualized approach to instruction. The tool addresses common issues students may have with phonemic awareness, including identifying individual sounds in words and trouble with sound deletion or substitution. For example, when a student struggles with identifying individual sounds in words, the teacher may use the following prompt: "When you hear a word, try to isolate each sound in your mind. Can you tell me what sounds you can identify in… ?"

Evaluation for 5.D.2c (grades K–2 only)
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)

• The materials provide specific and precise terms, phrasing, and statements that teachers can use duing rcore instruction to connect phonemic awareness skills to the alphabetic principle. In Unit 2, Lesson 8, the lesson plan includes direct guidance for introducing the sound /oe/ and the spelling for /oe/ as o_e. The lesson progresses into students practicing the sound-spelling /oe/ as o_e during a dictation activity, which includes phrases like, "Explain that each thick black line on the page stands for one sound-spelling," "Say the word not, hold up three fingers, and segment the word, /n/ /o/ /t/," "Say the word note, hold up three fingers and segment the word, /n/ /oe/ /t/," and "Point out that the word note also has just three sounds but is spelled with four letters."
• The materials include explicit guidance for connecting phonemic awareness skills to the alphabetic principle to support the decoding and encoding of text. For instance, in Unit 6, Lesson 9, the materials provide an Additional Support lesson for students needing more help with spelling alternatives for /s/. During the activity, students read each word silently and then aloud. They are to circle the spellings, count the spellings, and write the number of sounds in the box. Words include choice, cent, glance, grouse, house, cells, prince, and center.
• The materials integrate kinesthetic scaffold resources for connecting phonemic awareness with the alphabetic principle. The Pausing Points in Unit 7 include an activity for practicing consonant blends. The teacher models blending and segmenting using motions taught in previous units with the word explain. Students then engage in guided practice using the motions while blending and segmenting the following words: plane, planet, split, and apply. Students are also to identify the blends and whether they are at the beginning or middle of the words.

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

• The activities and resources in the materials offer opportunities to reinforce phonemic awareness skills through cumulative review. The Unit 4 decodable reader The Green Fern Zoo enables students to review code knowledge and tricky words for the entire unit. For instance, the reader includes practice with r-controlled vowels and the tricky words today, yesterday, and tomorrow.
•  The materials feature activities designed to help students develop, practice, and reinforce their phonemic awareness skills. Lessons incorporate gestures, body movements, and other kinesthetic activities to aid students in visualizing, blending, segmenting, and manipulating phonemes presented orally. In Unit 5, Lesson 2, the teacher and students use finger taps and a closed fist to visualize segmenting and blending two-syllable words such as weekday and mailman.
• The materials also include activities like songs and stories that help students develop, practice, and reinforce their phonemic awareness skills. Unit 5 suggests that teachers use the song A Very Small Vampire and the decodable Kate's Book for additional practice with decodable words. The unit also provides simple phrases and sentences for further practice, such as "Solve the problem."

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 include lessons and activities that systematically teach phonics skills and concepts, progressing from simple to complex throughout the year. In Unit 1, students identify 5 short vowel sounds and 25 consonant/consonant digraph sounds and learn tricky spellings such as 'th' for /th/ and /th/ and 's' pronounced /s/ or /z/. Unit 2 introduces five vowel sounds with the most common spellings and teaches students to read and write words with separated digraphs, like the a and e in cake. Unit 3 adds five vowel sounds with their most common spellings, five new tricky words, and the tricky spelling oo while distinguishing similar vowel sounds like /ue/, /oo/, /oo/, and /u/. Unit 4 focuses on the most common spellings for /r/-controlled vowel sounds. In Unit 5, students begin learning advanced code spelling alternatives for sounds like /ch/, /j/, /v/, and /r/. Unit 6 continues with spelling alternatives for consonant sounds, including /s/, /n/, /ng/, and /w/. By Unit 7, students focus on advanced code spelling alternatives for vowel sounds, including /ae/ and /oe/.
• This program starts by teaching the most common or straightforward spellings for each sound (the basic code spelling) and gradually introduces alternative spellings for sounds with multiple representations. According to the grade 1 materials, the approach is initially simple, increasing in complexity as students build their confidence and proficiency in reading and writing. In Unit 1, students spell words with double-letter spellings. Unit 2 focuses on writing long vowel sounds, including separated vowel digraphs (CVCe words), identifying and spelling tricky words like he, she, and we, and spelling dictated words. Unit 3 has students read and write words with vowel sounds /oo/, /oo/, /ou/, /oi/, and /aw/, identify and spell tricky words like should and could. Students also begin weekly spelling tests along with spelling and writing dictated words and sentences. In Unit 4, students read and spell tricky words like today, yesterday, and tomorrow and spell words with closed syllables and r-controlled vowels. Unit 5 focuses on reading and writing spelling alternatives for /ch/, /j/, /v/, and /r/, spelling grade-level words, including tricky words, correctly, and spelling and writing dictated words and sentences. Unit 6 covers reading and writing spelling alternatives for /s/, /n/, /ng/, and /w/ and spelling words with open and closed syllables. Finally, Unit 7 teaches students to read and write spelling alternatives for /ae/ and /oe/, spell grade-level words, including tricky words, correctly, and spell words with vowel teams, VCe, and r-controlled words, along with spelling and writing dictated words and sentences.
• The lesson objectives align to the grade level TEKS sound-spelling patterns. For example, grade 1 students learn how to decode and spell words with r-controlled syllables. Unit 4, Lesson 4 Introduces the sound and spelling /ar/ as ar.

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

• The materials include specific and precise terms, phrasing, and statements for teachers to use during core instruction. For example, in a grade 1, Unit 3 lesson script, the teacher introduces the lesson by telling students that they will learn a new sound: /oi/ as in oil. The materials also provide guidance such as, "Ask students if /oi/ is a vowel sound or a consonant sound," and "Explain that the two letters work together as a team to stand for the /oi/ sound."
• The materials highlight important points for teachers to emphasize about grade-level sound-spelling patterns. In Unit 5, Lesson 2, the tricky word how is introduced. The lesson plan instructs the teacher to write the word on the board, underline the letters o and w, and explain that they are the tricky part of the word, as they stand for the /ou/ sound, like in down.
• The materials provide explicit guidance within the lesson plans and consistent routines for systematic and explicit instruction on sound-spelling correlations and syllable combinations. Each lesson begins with the foundation skills block, where students review previously taught skills and learn new sound-spelling correlations. Depending on the unit, the block may start with a five-minute phonemic awareness review before moving on to new skills or with students learning new spelling alternatives before practice, as seen in Unit 6.

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

• The materials include a variety of activities for students to review, practice, and reinforce their knowledge of grade-level sound-spelling patterns. In Unit 3, Lesson 9, there is a game called Speedy Sound Hunt, where students review previously learned vowel spellings. The teacher says a sound, such as /ue/, and students race through their individual code charts to find the speech bubble containing that sound. The teacher then calls on students to provide the spelling and read an example word, for instance, "/ue/ is spelled u_e, and the example word is cute."
• The materials provide activity books for each unit, offering practice after each phonics lesson. The grade 1 activity books include opportunities for students to read decodable passages, practice their spelling words, sort words based on spelling patterns, and label images with words from a given word bank. For example, the Unit 6 activity book contains multiple opportunities for students to sort words based on spellings, including sorting words by their spellings for /s/.
• The materials include various multimodal activities and resources for guided and independent cumulative review throughout the school year. Each Teacher Guide includes Pausing Points at the end, recommended for use as extensions and remediation. Each activity focuses on a different skill, such as recognizing and isolating sounds, more help with tricky words, and more help decoding phrases and sentences. The online materials also include the Intervention Toolkit, which provides songs, games, and additional resources for teachers to reinforce skills taught.

Evaluation for 5.E.1d
Materials provide a variety of activities and 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)

• The materials provide resources to support students in encoding words, including teaching sound-spelling patterns in isolation. In Unit 3, Lesson 7, a teacher resource allows students to practice the sound/spelling oo as /oo/ or /oo/. The letters b, r, l, z, n, s, t, and m are arranged around the spelling oo in a three-by-three square, enabling students to create words with these letters and write them on the provided lines.
• The materials offer opportunities for students to apply previously taught and recently introduced sound-spelling patterns while decoding words in phrases. Throughout the program, teachers can use the activity Wiggle Cards for additional support and review. In this activity, students draw a card with a decodable phrase that describes a motion or activity they can act out. Students must independently decode the phrase and then perform the action. Examples of phrases from Unit 6, Lesson 11 include "Make a sad face" and "Knit a scarf."
• The materials provide activities and resources to decode and encode words in decodable connected text. For example, Unit 7 includes the decodable reader Kay and Martez. This reader is 100% decodable and can be used in various ways, with specific recommendations in each lesson of the Teacher Guide. The materials also include digital resources for teachers to use when introducing the stories, such as images and core vocabulary. For instance, in Lesson 4, the teacher uses digital components to display the spellings and core vocabulary needed to decode the story successfully, including /ae/ as in ay and two-syllable words like shopper and dinner. Each lesson includes an activity page for students to respond to questions and practice skills reinforced within the text, including both decoding and encoding.

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

•  In the grade 1 program, regular and irregular high-frequency words are introduced systematically, starting with the most commonly used words. Unit 1 begins with a review of the Tricky Words from grade K. From Units 2 through 7; the most commonly used high-frequency words are introduced in groups with similar patterns. For instance, in grade 1, Unit 2, the materials introduce open syllable words ending with the /ee/ sound: he, be, she, me, and we, and open syllable words ending with the /ie/ sound: my and by. Another example is in Unit 3, where would, could, and should are introduced together due to their similar patterns.
• The materials limit the number of Tricky Words introduced in each unit to provide more opportunities for mastery. For example, in Unit 4, the words today, yesterday, tomorrow, and because are introduced in Lesson 8. Students then practice these words throughout the remainder of the unit in spelling activities, with decodable texts, and through various other activities such as matching games and activity pages. This structured approach ensures students have ample time and resources to learn and master each set of Tricky Words.
• The materials increase opportunities for students to practice and review high-frequency words as the units progress. In grade 1, Units 4 through 7, as students learn more sound-spelling patterns, the Tricky Words introduced come from their decodable readers. For example, in Unit 5, students are introduced to the words how, picture, and coach from the decodable reader Kate's Book. This method ensures that students repeatedly encounter and practice high-frequency words in various contexts, reinforcing their learning and retention.

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

• The materials include a comprehensive overview for teachers at the unit or lesson level, offering background knowledge on decoding and encoding both regular and irregular high-frequency words. For example, Appendix A in Unit 1 of the grade 1 materials provides background and guidance on Tricky Words. The materials explain the trickiness from both the spelling and reading perspectives. For instance, the word said is tricky to spell because the /e/ sound is not spelled with an e as expected. It is challenging to read because the letters ai are not pronounced /ae/ as one might anticipate. The materials note that the word is not entirely irregular; the first and last letters are pronounced as expected, while the middle letters representing the vowel sound are pronounced unusually.
• The materials provide scripts and explicitly defined strategies for direct instruction in reading and spelling high-frequency words. For example, Unit 2, Lesson 10 introduces the Tricky Words by and my. The lesson plan directs the teacher to write my on the board and explain, "This word is actually pronounced /m/ /ie/, as in, 'My dog has spots.'" The lesson continues with, "Tell students that when reading the word my, they should try to remember to pronounce the letter y as /ie/. When writing the word my, they should try to remember to spell the /ie/ sound with the letter y."
• The materials include key information for teachers at the start of each unit, providing background knowledge for decoding and encoding regular and irregular high-frequency words to be introduced in the unit. The introduction in Unit 5 includes a section titled Tricky and High-Frequency Words. This section provides teachers with guidance about the three Tricky Words to be introduced in the unit (how, stagecoach, and picture). The materials state that how is "tricky" or challenging because the /ou/ sound is spelled ow. The word stagecoach is included in the unit's decodable reader and is considered tricky due to the /oe/ sound spelled as oa. The letters ture in picture are tricky because they are pronounced /cher/.

Evaluation for 5.E.2c
Materials include a variety of activities and 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)

•  The materials offer various activities for students to practice and reinforce skills in decoding high-frequency words, including games as a method of review. In Unit 2, Lesson 7, the class is divided into two teams for a baseball-style game where students from each team read a tricky word from a card and move a game piece around bases. In Unit 4, Lesson 7, students have the opportunity to review high-frequency words with Tricky Word Match Maker. In this game, students turn over two cards at a time, read the words aloud, and try to find a matching pair. If a student finds a match, they can call out "Match" and keep the cards for the duration of the game.
• The materials introduce and review Tricky Words to ensure mastery, with each lesson following a consistent routine. Before introducing new words, previously taught words are reviewed to reinforce learning. The lesson starts with the teacher reminding students that Tricky Words do not "play by the rules" and often contain tricky letters that are not pronounced as expected. The review of previously taught words is done using a digital component or a word wall. For instance, in Unit 6, Lesson 23, the Tricky Word how is reviewed before introducing cow to provide students with support and a reference. After the new word is introduced, students practice decoding it within the unit's decodable reader and encoding it on an activity page.
• The materials also include activities solely for the review of previously taught high-frequency or Tricky Words. In Unit 7, Lesson 9, students review the Tricky Words taught up to that point in the program through a creative and collaborative activity titled Tricky Word Story. Each student receives an index card with a Tricky Word to read. Students then create a sentence using their Tricky Words to contribute to a silly story. The teacher starts the story using one of the words in a sentence and then calls on a student to give the next sentence. This process continues until each student has a turn and the story is complete.

Evaluation for 5.E.2d
Materials include a variety of activities and resources (including the use of memory-building strategies) for students to recognize, 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)

• The materials provide activities and resources, such as memory-building strategies, for students to master high-frequency words in isolation. Each unit in grade 1 includes flashcards located in the Teacher Resources that may be sent home for students' review. The tricky parts of each word are underlined on the card so that the students are reminded that this part of the word must be remembered. The materials suggest sending the cards home with a letter to the student's caregiver providing guidance on how to use the cards. The letter provides the following instructions, "In order to build increasingly rapid, automatic recognition of these words, show the cards to your student in random order and have them read them to you as quickly as possible several times each week."
• The materials include decodable texts for students to practice reading high-frequency words. Every word in each story comprises previously taught letter-sound correspondences or previously taught Tricky Words. For example, in Unit 2, the decodable reader, The Pet, features the Tricky Words be and he throughout the text. These decodable texts ensure that students can practice their reading skills with familiar words and sounds, reinforcing their learning and boosting their confidence. The materials include an opportunity for students to later practice encoding these words along with other Tricky Words that include the sound /ee/, including me and she with an activity page that provides students these words in a box and challenges them to fill in the blank in the appropriate sentence. For example, the first sentence says, "Will Jake … me a cake?" (me).
• The materials include a beginning and end of unit Tricky Word Assessment in each Teacher Guide. The students are assessed using words taught in previous units as well as the current unit. During the assessment, the teacher is to provide the students with a list of words and have them read the words from left to right, top to bottom. The Teacher Resources provide a chart for teachers to track the success of each student's success and growth from the beginning of the unit to the end.

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

• The materials offer a structured instructional sequence for encoding and decoding single-syllable words, as specified in the TEKS. For instance, in the grade 1 materials, the lessons start with students spelling closed single-syllable and r-controlled words in Units 4 and 5. In Unit 6, students progress to spelling open-syllable words before moving on to words with vowel teams and VCe patterns in Unit 7.

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

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

• The materials provide teachers with crucial points on decoding and encoding words using knowledge of syllable types, including CVCe. In Unit 2, Lesson 8, the materials guide the teacher in explicitly teaching the spelling for the sound /oe/ as o_e. The Teacher Guide instructs, "Explain that today's spelling is another separated spelling, or magic 'e' spelling, like 'a_e' in name and 'i_e' in time." Additionally, the materials direct the teacher to write o_e on the board, intentionally leaving a space between the letters to demonstrate that they will fill in the space with a consonant.
• The materials include specific guidance and background knowledge for teachers to read before teaching lessons on syllables. In the appendix at the back of the Unit 5 Teacher Guide, detailed guidance is provided on using chunking to decode multisyllabic words. The appendix informs the teacher that when students first encounter multisyllabic words, they will see a small dot as a visual cue between the syllables. For example, students will see sunset written as sun•set in both the activity books and readers within the materials. The guidance explains that students learn two-syllable compound words first because these words are among the easiest to chunk and decode.
• The materials provide key information on the syllable types that teachers may use during instruction. The appendix at the back of the Unit 6 Teacher Guide identifies and reviews the six different syllable types. The appendix provides the term, common abbreviations, definitions, and examples for each type. For instance, open syllables (V or CV) are always associated with a long vowel sound, such as /ae/, /ee/, /ie/, /oe/, and /ue/, as seen in words like go, me, and a•pron.

Evaluation for 5.E.3b (grades 2 and 3 only)
Materials include guidance for the teacher 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)

Evaluation for 5.E.3c
Materials include a variety of activities and 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)

• The materials include various resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce skills to decode and encode multisyllabic words. In Lesson 11 of Unit 4, students practice decoding and encoding words such as arm•pit, sniff•ing, and bas•kets. During the activity, the teacher says a word aloud, and the students circle the dictated word, then write it on the lines provided. For example, number six on the activity page shows the words twist•er and tweez•er to the students, the teacher orally presents the word twister.
•  The materials include a variety of activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce skills to decode and encode multisyllabic words. In Unit 6, Lesson 23, students complete an end-of-unit review. During the Foundational Skills component of the lesson, students first practice blending and dividing syllables orally before completing an activity page individually. On the activity page, students label images with the correct one or two-syllable word after reading the word and counting and noting the syllables.
• The materials include various activities to practice decoding words, including opportunities to decode words in phrases. In Unit 7, Lesson 3, students practice decoding one-syllable words with vowel digraphs in the activity Wiggle Cards. The students read phrases to themselves, such as "Rub your hair." They then act out the phrase for others, reinforcing their understanding and recall of the words.

Evaluation for 5.E.3d (grade 1 only)
Materials include a variety of activities 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)

• The materials include various activities for students to practice decoding words in decodable texts that build on previous instruction. In Unit 3, Lesson 12, students practice decoding one-syllable words with vowel diphthongs and vowel teams. For example, in the decodable story The Bag of Coins, students read words like coin, found, loud, shout, and count, reinforcing their understanding of these phonetic patterns.
• The materials provide a variety of activities for students to practice decoding and encoding one-syllable words in isolation. In Unit 4, Lesson 5, students practice dictation with r-controlled words featuring the /er/ and /ar/ sounds. After an explicit review of the sounds, the teacher dictates each word while holding up one finger for each sound. Students then draw one line for each sound and write the spelling on top of the lines. The word list includes eight words, such as clerk, herd, star, and tarp, allowing students to practice and reinforce their understanding of these phonetic elements.
• The materials offer opportunities for students to demonstrate their knowledge of decoding words in isolation, showing grade-level mastery. In Unit 7, Lesson 21, students take an end-of-year assessment for word reading in isolation. The words on the list feature closed syllables, magic 'e' syllables, vowel digraph syllables, and r-controlled syllables, allowing students to display their proficiency in reading a variety of phonetic patterns learned throughout the year.

Evaluation for 5.E.3d (grades 2 and 3 only)
Materials include a variety of activities and 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)

Evaluation for 5.E.4a (grades 1–3 only)
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level morphemes, as outlined in the TEKS. (PR 2.A.1)

• The materials organize the introduction of grade-level morphemes in words that follow a common phonic or spelling pattern so that teachers can provide direct and explicit instruction on a targeted group of words. In Unit 7, Lesson 8, teachers introduce suffixes -ed and -ing using the flower illustration in the Digital Component. The teacher writes the root word "stop" next to the roots of the flower drawing. The teacher reminds students that they can add a suffix to the end of a root word to make a different form of the word, and sometimes, when they add a suffix to a one-syllable root word, they need to double the consonant before adding the suffix.
• The materials include a scope and sequence document that identifies grade-level morphemes. The Curriculum Map, located in the online resources, details the units in which students begin reading, spelling, and identifying affixes. In grade 1, Unit 4, students read and write past tense verbs with -ed. In Unit 5, students form plural nouns by adding -s or -es and write words with the suffixes -ed or -ing.
• The materials organize the introduction of grade-level morphemes into smaller batches of words. This allows teachers to provide direct and explicit instruction on a targeted group of words. Students identify the meaning of words with the affix -ing in Unit 4, Lesson 8, and with the affix -ed in Lesson 13. In Unit 5, students begin by identifying the previously taught affixes -ed and -ing in Lesson 1. The materials then progress to the affix -s in Lesson 2. This structured approach helps ensure that students grasp the usage and meaning of each affix before moving on to the next.

Evaluation for 5.E.4b (grades 1–3 only)
Materials include guidance for the teacher 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)

• The materials include teacher tips and explanations of the lesson's morphological objectives. The Teacher Guide for Unit 4 contains a note for teachers to read before instruction. This guide explains that the lesson will cover past, present, and future-tense verbs. It highlights that in English, the past tense of a verb often ends with ed, which can be pronounced in three ways depending on the preceding sound. For example, ed is pronounced /d/ after voiced sounds, like in hugged, /t/ after voiceless sounds, like in asked, and /ed/ after /t/ or /d/ sounds, as in started. Understanding these pronunciation rules helps clarify the proper use of past tense verbs. Additionally, the note reminds teachers that when a verb ends with an e, a second e is not added. The materials suggest explaining this to students by saying, "The e is doing two jobs."
• The materials include guidance for teachers to provide direct and explicit instruction to support the recognition of common morphemes and use their meanings to aid in decoding, encoding, and reading. In Unit 4, Lesson 13, students will decode and identify the meaning of words with the suffix -ed and complete an activity page. The lesson plan instructs the teacher to explain to students that -ed is usually added to the end of a verb to describe actions that happened in the past. The teacher should also explain that the pronunciation of -ed varies based on the preceding letters. During guided practice, students read a list of verbs, underline the past-tense marker -ed in each verb, and sort them by the sounds /ed/, /d/, or /t/.
• The materials for each unit include explanations of the morphological objectives of the lessons. The introduction to Unit 5 provides teachers with information and best practices for explicitly introducing plural endings. This includes the difference between the endings -s and -es and when each is used. The materials also note that the plural marker -es changes a one-syllable word into two.

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

• The materials include various activities for students to practice and reinforce skills through review. In Unit 5, Lesson 12, students review changing verbs to past tense by adding -ed through The -ED Dance. The sounds and words that are sung or spoken are written in bold, with the movements following in parentheses. For instance, as students sing or say /t/, /d/, /ed/, they bend their knees on each beat and outstretch their arms in a cheering motion. When singing or saying past-tense marker, they wiggle their hips from left to right on each beat, with marker counting as one beat.
• The materials provide activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce reading and spelling plural nouns with -s and -es. For example, in grade 1, Unit 5, Lesson 2, materials include a digital component where teachers guide students in adding -es to words on a chart (wish, church, dish, ditch, dress, box, fox) and then writing them in the correct column based on medial sound (/sh/, /ch/, /s/, /x/). Students then complete an activity page to practice this skill independently.
• The materials offer a variety of ways to reinforce, practice, and review morphemes as they are taught, ensuring a spiral review of previously learned morphological skills. In Unit 7, Lesson 8, under Additional Support, students practice root words and endings -ed and -ing with words like fish, step, play, sway, dip, rub, rain, hail, flip, flop, hatch, and wait. The purpose of this review is to solidify students' understanding of when doubling a consonant is necessary before adding the ending.

Evaluation for 5.E.4d (grades 1–3 only)
Materials include a variety of activities and 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)

• The materials provide opportunities for students to decode and encode words with morphemes in isolation. In Unit 4, Lesson 8, students identify the meaning of words with the affix -ing. During the lesson, students read a list of words on the board, distinguishing between the root and the ending.
• The materials also include activities for students to decode and encode words with morphemes within sentences, building on previous instruction. In Unit 6, Lesson 21, students write the inflectional endings -ed and -ing at the end of root words, doubling the final consonant where necessary. During the review activity, students work as a team to earn points for correctly reading sentences and editing the tense of incorrect words. For example, if the card reads, "Yesterday I will walk to the park," the student should write, "Yesterday I walked to the park."
• The materials offer various opportunities for students to decode and encode words with morphemes in isolation. In Unit 7, Lesson 3, students practice turning singular words into plurals by adding -s or -es. The lesson also requires students to sort the words based on the sounds /s/, /z/, and /ez/.