Benchmark Phonics & Word Study Workshop Grade 1

Evaluation for 2.1
Materials include systematic, year-long plans for phonics instruction.

The materials meet the criteria for this indicator. Materials include systematic, year-long plans for phonics instruction.

Materials include a cohesive, TEKS-aligned scope and sequence that outlines the essential knowledge and skills that are taught throughout the year. Materials clearly demonstrate vertical alignment that shows the progression of skill development from year to year. Lessons follow a developmentally appropriate, systematic progression from simple to more complex concepts (e.g., CVC words before CCCVCC words and single syllable words before multisyllabic words).

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Materials include a cohesive, TEKS-aligned scope and sequence that outlines the essential knowledge and skills that are taught throughout the year.

• The materials include a TEKS-aligned scope and sequence that outlines the essential knowledge and skills that are taught throughout the year. The scope and sequence shows when the skills are taught in the program during the school year, including spiral reviews of phonics concepts. In each unit, the document lists the phonological awareness skill, primary skill, secondary skill and word families, spiral review, and high-frequency words that are taught each week of the units. The scope and sequence does not include a side-by-side document that shows the TEKS.
• In Phonics Workshop, there is a scope and sequence that lists the focus of the skill and what skills are being taught and reviewed. In Unit 1, students are introduced to decoding and encoding words with short a. By the end of Unit 10, students have covered decoding and encoding with long vowels, blends, consonant digraphs, soft c and g, r-controlled vowels, diphthongs, silent letters, and complex vowels. The Scope and Sequence list the phonological awareness skills that are explicitly taught each week. In Unit 2, Week 3, Day 1, the TEKS 1.2A (i) for Phonological awareness; producing rhyming words is used in the activity Phonological Awareness Recognize and Produce Rhymes. The TEKS 1.2B(i) for Phonics: Decode Words is used in the Blend Words activity where students are blending words with short e.
• The scope and sequence does not include the TEKS; however, the Product Support section of the materials includes a document showing the correlation of the curriculum lessons with the TEKS for first grade. The document lists TEK 1.2A(iii) as addressed in Units 5–10 and in Launching the Phonics & Word Study Workshop. Each unit of the curriculum includes a suggested pacing guide. The guide lists an overview of the activities of each of the three weeks in each unit. In Unit 2, Week 1, one of the activities on Day 1 is short e and spelling-sound correspondences. Day 2 activities include short e and blend, build, and write words. Day 5 includes a review and assessment of short e. The TEK aligned with these activities is 2AI.

Materials clearly demonstrate vertical alignment and that shows the progression of skill development from year to year.

• The materials in first grade do not include a document that demonstrates vertical alignment that shows the progression of skill development from year to year. The materials do outline the progression of skill development from kindergarten through grade 2 on the Scope and Sequence for grades K–2. For example, the teacher materials give an overview of phonics and phonemic awareness skills learned the previous year as well as those that will be learned the following year, which is found in the Grade K-2 scope and sequence. In the grade 1 teacher manual, there is an overview of the phonics skills learned in kindergarten and those that will be taught in grade 2.
• The materials do not include a continuum or document that specifies the skills that should be mastered at each grade level and in which order. The scope and sequence in the Teacher Resource Manual provides the phonological awareness skill that is taught each week, starting in kindergarten through second grade. In the Scope and Sequence for first grade, phonics skills at the end of the year in Unit 10, Weeks 1, 2, and 3 cover vowel teams. In Unit 1, Week 3, students start covering vowel teams as a Primary Skill and Spiral Review.
• The lesson plans at the beginning and end of each year review and build upon the previous year’s lessons. Kindergarten Unit 10 ends long e which is then taught again and spiraled in Unit 6 of grade 1. Each week of each unit has a spiral review that revisits previously taught skills. Unit 10 in first grade focuses on silent letters, complex vowels /o/ and long e (-ey, -y) at the end of the school year. The second-grade curriculum starts with a focus on short a, i, o, u, and e. The lessons progress and focus on blends, VCe, and long a, e, i, o, and u for the first 15 days of the second-grade materials. The materials at the beginning of second grade do not review the materials presented at the end of first grade.

Lessons follow a developmentally appropriate, systematic progression from simple to more complex concepts (e.g., CVC words before CCCVCC words and single syllable words before multisyllabic words).

• The lesson objectives systematically progress from simple to more complex concepts. Grade 1 lesson objectives begin with a review of skills taught in kindergarten, then emphasize decoding and encoding one-syllable words with common phoneme-grapheme correspondences, such as initial and final consonant blends and digraphs with short vowel sounds. Then objectives progress to silent-e syllables with long vowel sounds and vowel digraphs.
• In Unit 1, Week 1, Day 1, students blend CVC words with short a. In Unit 2, Week 3, Day 1, students are decoding and encoding CCVC words with l-blends. In the Blend Words activity, the teacher says, “This is the letter f. It stands for /f/. This is the letter l. It stands for /l/. Listen as I blend the two sounds: /ffflll/. This is the letter i. It stands for /i/. Listen as I blend the sounds: /fffllliii/. This is the letter p. It stands for /p/. Listen as I blend all four sounds: /fffllliiip/, flip. Say the word with me: flip.” By Unit 8, students have progressed to learning r-controlled vowels.
• In Unit 9, Week 2, Day 1, the teacher models words with the sound /oy/. The teacher says the words, and the students identify the sound /oy/ at the end of each word. The teacher then displays the Picture Word Card for coin. The teacher identifies the medial sound /oy/, and the students practice saying /oy/. The students practice naming pictures and identifying the sound /oy/. The students then practice writing the correct /oi/ or /oy/ on their workmats or paper. The lesson moves from identifying the sound to the more complex skill of naming pictures with the /oy/ sound and writing the correct /oi/ or /oy/ in words.

Evaluation for 2.2
Materials provide direct (explicit) and systematic instruction in developing grade-level phonics skills within and across lessons.

The materials meet the criteria for this indicator. Materials provide direct (explicit) and systematic instruction in developing grade-level phonics skills within and across lessons.

Lessons include detailed guidance for each component of the gradual release of responsibility model. Materials contain a teacher edition with ample and useful annotations and suggestions on how to present the content in the student materials.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Lessons include detailed guidance for each component of the gradual release of responsibility mode.

• Although the materials do not specifically list the gradual release of responsibility by including subtitles in the teacher guide, the lessons include detailed guidance for each component of the gradual release of responsibility model. In Unit 2, Week 1, Day 1, the teacher displays the Picture Word Card for egg. In the I Do section of the lesson, the teacher says, “This is a picture of an egg. The beginning sound in egg is /e/. The sound /e/ is spelled with the letter e. Say the sound with me: /e/.” The I Do section includes a script for the teacher during the modeling part of the lesson. The materials provide specific words and an action rhyme on the Sound-Spelling Card for short e. The students practice saying the names of the objects in the pictures on the Frieze Card short e. The card includes pictures for bed, egg, gem, and pen. Finally, the students practice independently. The teacher says the words bed, leg, set, peck, well, pet, and wet. The students listen for the short e sound and write the letter e on paper or on a workmat.
• In the Teacher Resource System, Unit 8, Week 2, Day 2, students build and blend or words in the ePocket chart. The independent portion is listed as small-group/independent practice section in the Teacher Resource System. In the I do portion of the lesson, directions guide the teacher to display Letter Cards for the word fork and blend the phonemes. The teacher says, “Let’s blend all the sounds together and read the word: /fffôrk/, fork. The middle vowel sound is/ôr/. Change the k to m and repeat with form. Let’s blend all the sounds together and read the new word: /fffôrmmm/, form. Change the m to t and repeat with fort. Let’s blend all the sounds together and read the word: /fffôrt/, fort.” For the We Do portion of the lesson, the directions guide the teacher to provide students with Letter Cards a–z, “Have students quickly alphabetize them. Say each word. Guide students to choose the correct letter or letters to change.” In the You Do section, the directions tell the teacher to use the following activities during small-group time to reteach and reinforce the whole-group mini-lesson, “Write these words in random order: corn, born, horn, core, more, chore, boar, roar. Have student pairs write the words on cards and sort them according to their /ôr/ spelling pattern and ending sound (-or, -ore, -oar). Have pairs read aloud the words with each spelling pattern. Model self-correcting an error by saying each phoneme slowly in the word.”

Materials contain a teacher edition with ample and useful annotations and suggestions on how to present the content in the student materials.

• The materials contain a teacher edition with ample and useful suggestions on how to present the content in the student materials. For example, the materials address reading decodable readers. There are four sections with annotations and suggestions. The Best Practice section talks about why this routine is important because “students need ample opportunities to apply phonics skills in connected text to help them master these skills.” Under the same section, there’s an In Your Classroom that gives tips such as “front-load vocabulary that students might have difficulty understanding as you preview the text.” In the section Introduce, it tells the teacher to discuss with students why it is important to read decodable text. The Model and practice section gives guidance on how to preview and predict, read together, check comprehension, and retell and write. The Share and Reflect section tells the teacher what should be done, stating, “Have partners share their writing. Ask one or two students to share with the class.”
• Students participate in the shared reading in the Teacher Resource System in Unit 5, Week 1, Day 1 in the Model Fluency: Pausing. The material provides suggestions in the lesson to help students understand how to use punctuation. For example, “Model reading the first stanza with proper pauses. Emphasize your pauses by taking short or long breaths.” In Unit 8, Week 1, Day 2, there is a helpful suggestion: “Remind students that the a and r work together to make the /är/ sounds.”

Evaluation for 2.3
Materials include detailed guidance that supports teacher’s delivery of instruction.

Materials meet the criteria for this indicator. Materials include detailed guidance that supports teacher’s delivery of instruction.

Guidance for teachers includes information about common phonics pattern misconceptions and guiding principles related to specific phonics skills. Guidance for teachers provides detailed, specific instructional strategies with consistent routines for teaching each phonics skill. Materials include specific guidance for providing students with immediate, corrective feedback. Materials provide detailed guidance for connecting previously taught phonics skills to new learning. Materials include clear guidance on how to pace each lesson, including specific time suggestions for each component of the gradual release model.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Guidance for teachers includes information about common phonics pattern misconceptions and guiding principles related to specific phonics skills.

• The materials include information about common misconceptions related to specific phonics skills. The materials include a section on Benchmark Phonics Routines. The section includes a video on Common Pitfalls under Phonemic Awareness. In Unit 1, Week 1, Day 3, in the High-Frequency Words section, the materials include a note for the teacher to “Point out to students that for can be easily confused with the words of and from.” In Unit 2, Week 1, Day 1, in the Spelling-Sound Correspondences section, the materials note, “Short e in the initial position may be pronounced differently in certain dialects. If students are having trouble with the true short e sound, switch your focus to short e in the medial position.” A different video discusses common pitfalls when teaching High-Frequency Words.
• The materials share guiding principles related to specific phonics skills. In the Benchmark Phonics Training video, Wiley Blevins explains the importance of systematic phonics instruction through the seven foundations. The Scope and Sequence is considered the spine of effective phonics instruction. In the Welcome Letter from Wiley Blevins, the author explains, “instruction needs to move to practice through reading and writing application. Practice is where learning sticks and transfer thrives. Practice is more than isolated drill-type work with a particular skill; it requires application in authentic reading and writing experiences. This is where Benchmark Phonics really shines. It provides teachers with the necessary road map, explicit instruction, and efficient use of instructional time. It provides students with unique tools that maximize learning, with purposeful reading and writing application throughout.”

Guidance for teachers provides detailed, specific instructional strategies with consistent routines for teaching each phonics skill.

• The materials guidance for teachers provides detailed, specific instructional strategies with consistent routines for teaching each phonics skill. The materials consistently use supports such as letter and syllable tiles in the ePocket chart, songs, Elkonin Boxes, picture cards, and counters to support student understanding. For example, in Unit 3, Week 2, Day 2, in the section Write Words, the students use Elkonin boxes and markers to build words. The teacher says, “I know the letter s stands for /s/. I’ll write s. Listen for the next sound: /ssslll/. I hear /l/. I know that the letter l stands for /l/, so I’ll write l. Listen for the next sound: /sssllleee/. I hear /e/. I know that the letter e stands for /e/, so I’ll write e. Listen for the last sound: /sssllleeed/. I hear /d/. I know the letter d stands for /d/.” An example of blending from Unit 8, Week 1, Day 2 instructs the teacher to “Display Elkonin boxes. Watch and listen as I say hard slowly: /härd/. As you say each phoneme, move a marker into a box.I know the letter h stands for /h/. I’ll write h. Listen for the next sound: /här/. I hear /är/. I know that the letters a and r together stand for /är/, so I’ll write ar. Listen for the last sound, /härd/. I hear /d/. I know the letter d stands for /d/. I’ll write d in the last box. Repeat for chart. Have students practice on their workmat.”The lessons use Elkonin boxes throughout the units for practice in building words.
• The materials include an explanation or overview of the instructional routines used consistently throughout the program. For example, the teacher guide includes the Routines section of the Launching Unit that explains the regular routine of dictation/spelling, and the lesson plans for dictation include words and sentences based on the phonics objectives using the routine. In Unit 4, Week 1, Day 1, students identify, blend, and spell words with consonant digraphs. In the Spelling-Sound Correspondence activity, the teacher displays the Picture Card for the word swing. The teacher says, “This picture shows a swing. The ending sound in swing is /ng/. The sound /ng/ is spelled with the letters ng. Say the sound with me: /ng/. This is the sound at the end of the word swing. Listen again to the sound: /ng/ .” The teacher continues with th, sh, and ng. In Unit 4, Week 1, Day 1, students continue working on blending and spelling words in the Blend Words activity; the teacher displays the letter cards for the word this. The teacher says, “This is the letter t. This is the letter h. When the letters t and h are put together, they make a new sound, /th/. Listen: /thhh/. This is the letter i. It stands for /i/. This is the letter s. It stands for /sss/. Listen as I blend all three sounds: /thhhiiisss/, this. Say the word with me: this.”

Materials include specific guidance for providing students with immediate, corrective feedback.

• The materials provide examples of how to provide immediate, corrective feedback. The materials point teachers to a small group lesson. Unit 6, Week 1, Day 1 includes a section that says, “Check to see: If students have difficulty reading words, then use strategies provided for Small Group Instruction.” The materials provide a script for using Elkonin boxes to blend and build words: “Distribute Elkonin boxes and Letter Cards for like. Explain that the e will team with the vowel to make a long vowel sound. Find l. What sound does l make? /lll/. Push l into the first box. Now find i. What vowel sound does i make when it’s by itself? /i/. Blend the sounds together. /llliii/. Now find k. Push k into the box. Blend the sounds to read the word: /llliiik/. Now, to make the word like, we add final –e. What do the letters i and final –e make? /i/. Push the e into the next box. Blend the sounds: /llliiik/. Say the word with me: like. Repeat with other words with long i (final -e): (rid, ride, bit, bite, hid, hide, kit, kite).”
• Materials include guidance for providing students with immediate, corrective feedback, For example, while students practice reading connected text in Unit 7, Week 1, Day 3. The script says, “Invite students to whisper-read ‘From Place to Place.’ Circulate, listen in, and provide corrective feedback. You may wish to have smaller groups of students take turns rereading the text aloud for additional practice.” It also says, “If students have difficulty decoding reading words, then use strategies provided for Small Group Instruction.”

Materials provide detailed guidance for connecting previously taught phonics skills to new learning.

• The materials provide detailed guidance for connecting previously taught phonics skills to new learning. In Unit 2, Week 2, Day 4, in Reread the Text, the materials guide the teacher to remind the students that they know the high-frequency words the, and, my, come, little, jump, here, and of, and they should be able to read those fluently. The teacher reminds the students they have been learning how to decode words with short u, and they need to use what they know about the sound to read the words. In Unit 5, Week 2, Day 1, the o_e spelling pattern is introduced. In Day 2 of the same unit, the teacher says, “Remember that the vowels o and final -e work together to make the o say its name.” The teacher provides additional practice reading words with the o_e pattern.
• The materials do not specifically make reference to previous lessons in the script, but there is evidence for connecting previously taught phonics skills to new learning. In Unit 5, Week 1, Day 1, in the Blend Word activity, students use the spiral review to practice the previously taught skill consonant digraphs. In Unit 5, Week 1, Day 2 in the Blend and Build Word activity, students continue to build and blend words with long a. The teacher starts the lesson by saying, “Remember that the vowels a and final -e work together to make the a say its name. Let’s blend all the sounds together and read the word: /kaaak/, cake.”

Materials include clear guidance on how to pace each lesson, including specific time suggestions for each component of the gradual release model.

• The materials include clear guidance on the recommended length for each lesson. In Unit 3, Week 3, Day 3, in I Read, the students apply foundational skills and independently read One Fast Wagon. The teacher models blending words and reading high-frequency words. The section includes five to seven minutes for this component. In Unit 5, Week 2, Day 4, the teacher models writing the words mat, sat, cat, bat, fun, sun, bun, and pun on cards and reads them. The teacher models sorting words into -un and -at piles. The students read the words and then work on sorting the words after they write them on cards. The activity suggests three to five minutes to complete. 
• The material gives suggested time for each component of the lesson. For example, Phonological Awareness suggests two to three minutes, Spelling-Sound Correspondence two to three minutes, Blend Words two to three minutes, and High-Frequency Words three to four minutes. For the Small Group and Independent Practice, the suggested time for the entire lesson is 10–15 minutes. The materials do include lessons that include the gradual release of responsibility, but pacing support is not included.
• The materials do include lessons that include the gradual release of responsibility, but pacing support is not included.

Evaluation for 2.4
Materials include frequent and distributed review of phonics skills with cumulative practice opportunities with decodable text.

Materials meet the criteria for this indicator. Materials include frequent and distributed review of phonics skills with cumulative practice opportunities with decodable text.

Materials include intentional cumulative review and practice activities throughout the span of the curriculum. Practice opportunities include only phonics skills that have been explicitly taught. Decodable texts incorporate cumulative practice of taught phonics skills.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Materials include intentional cumulative review and practice activities throughout the span of the curriculum.

• The materials include intentional cumulative review and practice activities throughout the span of the curriculum. In the units throughout the materials, during Write Words, the teacher displays Elkonin boxes. The teacher models sounding out a word and moves a marker for each phoneme. The students practice on their workmats. The routine is used throughout the materials as students practice sounding out words and writing the words. The materials include Connected Text BLMs in each unit. The BLM Connected Text in each unit includes the phonic pattern introduced that week. For example, short i is introduced on Day 1, and on Day 2, the students whisper read the connected text and circle words that have the short i sound, such as kit, and it.
• The materials include intentional practice and review decoding using previously learned and newly learned phonics skills throughout the year. In Unit 2, Week 1, Day 1 in the Blend Words activity, students are blending words with short e. During this lesson, in the practice part, there is a section called Spiral Review. The spiral review has students blending words with short o, i, and a that were learned in previous lessons. Starting in Unit 1, Week 1, Day 2, students participate in the Words Activity. Students begin using Elkonin boxes to practice writing words using the phonics skill being taught for the week. This activity is done each week of every unit on Day 2.
• The materials include intentional practice and review decoding using previously learned and newly learned phonics skills throughout the year. For example, Unit 5, Week 1, Day 5 includes Spiral Review with the words to dictate and spell squid, strip, scrub, sprung, clasp, and bland. The scope and sequence indicates that the skills reviewed include three-letter blends, consonant digraphs, closed syllables, and plural (-es). The directions at the end of the lesson include information for cumulative review that says, “select five or six students to assess using this week’s assessment for accuracy and fluency on students’ phonics skills. Take note of fluency issues and decayed learning. Use your findings to form small groups.” The spiral reviews can be found in each unit and week under Days 1 and 3.
• Lessons use consistent routines to introduce and review phonics skills that include different modalities. For example, during Write Words, the teacher displays Elkonin boxes. The teacher models sounding out a word and moves a marker for each phoneme. The students practice on their workmats. The routine is used throughout the materials as students practice sounding out words and writing the words. The materials include My Reading and Writing books for each unit. The activities focus on reviewing and reinforcing the skills in the units.

Practice opportunities include only phonics skills that have been explicitly taught.

• The materials practice opportunities include only phonics skills that have been explicitly taught. In Unit 2, Week 1, Day 1 in the Blend Words activity, students are blending words with short e. During this lesson, in the practice part, there is a section called Spiral Review. The spiral review has students blending words with short o, i, and a that were learned in previous lessons. In Unit 5, Week 1, Day 2, students participate in the Write Words activity. Students begin using Elkonin boxes to practice writing words using the phonics skill being taught for the week. In Unit 5, Week 1, Day 3, students participate in the Write Words activity again, reinforcing the phonics skills being learned that week.
• In Unit 9, Week 1, Day 4, the teacher script says, “Remind students that they know these high-frequency words: before, done, even. Students should be able to read these words fluently. They have also been learning about decoding words with the vowel /ou/. When they come to a word that has the vowel /ou/, remind them to use what they know about the sound the letters make to read the word. Invite students to whisper-read Our Town. Circulate, listen in, and provide corrective feedback. Have partners take turns rereading the text aloud for additional practice.” The connected text includes words with phonics patterns that have all been explicitly taught.

Decodable texts incorporate cumulative practice of taught phonics skills.

• Decodable texts incorporate cumulative practice of taught phonics skills. For example, decodable texts align closely with the scope and sequence of the lessons, connecting previously taught objectives to new ones. The decodable texts contain a controlled set of irregular words that have been explicitly taught. In Unit 8, Week 1, Day 4, students read the Mark and the Stars, “Remind students that they have been practicing these high-frequency words: boy, city, four, great. Students should be able to read these words fluently. They have also been learning about decoding /är/ words. When they come to a word that has an a followed by an r, remind them to use what they know about the sound the letters make together to read the word. Invite students to whisper-read Mark and the Stars. Circulate, listen in, and provide corrective feedback. ”
• The materials include decodable texts incorporating cumulative practice of taught phonics skills. In Unit 3, Week 2, the focus skill is s-blends. The lessons focus on the phonic pattern, and the decodable book Stop for Socks provides practice of the taught skill s-blends. In Unit 6, Week 1, the phonic pattern is long i (final -e), and the decodable book for the week is Five Kittens. The decodable book includes words with long i spelling patterns. The decodable book includes words with soft g, which is a previously learned skill. In Unit 7, Week 1, Day 5 in the Reread for Fluency Activity, students read the decodable lap book for additional fluency. The phonics skills that students were taught throughout the week were vowel teams and long o. The decodable book that goes along with the phonics skills for the week is How We Go. Students read How We Go to help build fluency in this skill.

Evaluation for 3.A.1
Materials provide systematic and direct (explicit) instruction, practice, and review related to alphabet knowledge.

Evaluation for 3.A.2
Materials provide systematic and direct (explicit) instruction, practice, and review related to the alphabetic principle.

Materials meet the criteria for this indicator. Materials provide systematic and direct (explicit) instruction, practice, and review related to the alphabetic principle.

Materials systematically introduce letter-sound relationships in an order that quickly allows for application to basic decoding and encoding. Materials provide scripted direct (explicit) instruction for connecting phonemes to letters within words. Materials incorporate 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 simple words both in isolation and in decodable connected text.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Materials systematically introduce letter-sound relationships in an order that quickly allows for application to basic decoding and encoding.

• The materials provide a systematic sequence for introducing letter-sound relationships. The scope and sequence indicates that short vowels are taught prior to consonant blends so that students can begin to decode and encode words such as frog, drop, etc. The order of primary skills in the Scope and Sequence indicates short a, i, o, e, and u should be taught first, followed by l-blends; r-blends; s-blends; final consonant blends; consonant digraphs, th, sh, -ng, ch, -tch, wh; three-letter blends, long a and o; hard and soft c; long i, e, u; r-controlled vowels; diphthongs; and silent letters.
• The materials include blending and segmenting strategies to encode and decode words. For example, in Unit 1, Week 1, Day 1, the teacher models how to blend words following the script “This is the letter s. It stands for /s/. This is the letter a. It stands for /a/. Listen as I blend the two sounds: /sssaaa/. This is the letter d. It stands for /d/. Listen as I blend all three sounds: /sssaaad/, sad. Say the word with me: sad.” The teacher repeats the model process with the word has. Students then practice with the list of practice words sat, hat, ran, back, and pack. In Unit 2, Week 2, Day 3, the teacher models how to spell each word as they listen to the sounds they hear. Students write the letter for each sound they hear. 
• In Unit 1, Week 3, Day 1, the teacher displays the Picture Word Card for ox. The teacher says, “This picture shows an animal called an ox. The beginning sound in ox is /o/. The sound /o/ is spelled with the letter o. Say the sound with me: /o/.” The teacher displays the Sound-Spelling Card for short o and reads the rhyme as the students read along. The teacher displays words with medial /o/. The students practice naming the objects with medial /o/. The teacher points out the medial /o/ in the words. The students practice saying and listening for the medial /o/ or the beginning /o/ in the words off, on, odd, job, pop, rock, hot, and cob.
• After learning short u, the teacher is provided a script to encode sounds to spell a word. For example, in Unit 2, Week 2, Day 2, students turn to a page in My Reading and Writing book. The teacher says, “I will say a word. Listen to the sounds in the word. Write the letters for the sounds in the boxes. Sun. /ssssuuunnn/ Sun. /s/ /u/ /n/.”
• The materials introduce both blending and segmenting strategies to decode and encode words. For example, in Unit 3, Week 1, Day 2, Small-Group, the students practice blending and building words. The teacher gives the students the Letter Cards r, c, d, g, p, t, o, and i. The teacher says the word drip, and the students identify the letters they need to make the word. The students push the letter cards forward to spell the word. The students try again if the word is not correct. The teacher asks the students to replace the beginning letter to make the word trip and then grip. The students continue to practice with the words crop, drop, and prop. The students form words by applying letter-sound relationships and practice encoding words. In Unit 3, Week 2, Day 3, Small-Group, the teacher models segmenting words. The teacher says, “I will say a word. Listen to the sounds in the word. Write the letters for the sounds in the boxes. Swim. /ssswiiimmm/. Swim. /s/ /w/ /i/ /m/. Sled. /sssllleeed/. Sled. /s/ /l/ /e/ /d/.” The teacher monitors students as they practice the words and says, “Now I will say more words. Listen to the sounds. Think about the letters that make the sounds. Write the letters on the line to spell the word. Stick. /ssstiiik/. Stick. /s/ /t/ /i/ /k/. Spot. /ssspooot/. Spot. /s/ /p/ /o/ /t/. Now I will say a sentence. Listen carefully. Think about the words you have learned. Write the words on the line to spell the sentence.”
• The materials systematically introduce letter-sound relationships that allow students to practice blending and building words. In Launching Benchmark Phonics, there are routines that address various lessons. In Routine 9, students manipulate the letter cards to build words. The teacher says, “Let’s blend all the sounds together and read the word: /sssaaat/, sat. The middle vowel sound is /a/. Let’s blend these two sounds: /sssaaa/. This is the letter t. It stands for the /t/ sound. Let’s blend all the sounds together: /sssaaat/. The word is sat.”

Materials provide scripted direct (explicit) instruction for connecting phonemes to letters within words.

• The materials provide scripted (explicit) instructions for the teacher within the lessons. For example, in Unit 2, Week 1, Day 2, the teacher displays the Letter Cards for the word pet. The teacher says, “Let’s blend all the sounds together and read the word: /peeet/, pet.” The teacher changes the t to ck and then blends peck. The teacher says, “Let’s blend all the sounds together and read the new word: /peeek/, peck.” The teacher continues to practice with neck, peck, pet, net, wet, well, fell, bell, bet, get, met, bet, bed, red, and fed. The teacher says the words and guides the students to choose the correct letter or letters to change. In Unit 2, Week 2, Day 1, the teacher displays the letter cards one at a time for modeling. The teacher says, “This is the letter d. It stands for /d/. This is the letter u. It stands for /u/. Listen as I blend the two sounds: /duuu/. This is the letter g. It stands for /g/. Listen as I blend all three sounds: /duuug/, dug. Say the word with me: dug.” The teacher displays a new letter card and says, “This is the letter c. It stands for /k/. This is the letter u. It stands for /u/. Listen as I blend the two sounds: /kuuu/. This is the letter p. It stands for /p/. Listen as I blend all three sounds: /kuuup/, cup. Say the word with me: cup.” The students continue to practice independently with the words sun, bug, tug, and pup. ● The materials include the use of gradual release of responsibility. For example, in Unit 4, Week 1, Day 1, the Objectives state that students will identify, blend and spell words. The teacher models using letter cards to blend words. Students practice with the teacher. Students then practice independently using the list of practice words. Lessons identify the skills to be taught as indicated in the Scope and Sequence as well as in the Learning Targets of each lesson. For example, in Unit 4, Week 1, Day 1, the script prompts teachers to say, “This picture shows a swing. The ending sound in swing is /ng/. The sound /ng/ is spelled with the letters ng. Say the sound with me: /ng/. This is the sound at the end of the word swing. Listen again to the sound: /ng/.”
• The materials include opportunities for students to spiral back and connect new learning to previous learning. For example, in Unit 6, Week 1, Day 5 in the Spiral Review activity, the students will review soft c, soft g, and long vowels. The teacher models using the word make. The teacher puts up the letter cards to spell the word make and says, “What sounds do these letters stand for? Let’s blend the sounds: /mmmaaak/. Let’s read the word together: make.” The teacher repeats with words race, page, and hope. Then students practice using the words listed in the practice section.
• For example, in Unit 8, Week 1, Day 2, the teacher provides the students with the Letter Cards a,c, f, h, k,m, p, t, and r. The teacher says the word cart and asks the students what letters they need to make the word. The students push forward the letter cards to spell the word. The students correct the word if it is incorrect. The teacher asks the students to change the initial letter to change the word from cart to part and then the final to change part to park. The materials guide the teacher to remind the students that a and r work together to make the /ar/ sound. The students practice with the words far, farm, and harm. The students work with these letters introduced in previous lessons, such as Units 3 and 5.
• Lessons revisit previously introduced phonemes frequently when students build words using letters that were mastered in previous lessons as well as letters that were recently introduced. Connected texts include simple one-syllable words which use letters mastered in previous lessons as well as recently introduced letters. For example, In Unit 3, Week 1, Day 1, the teacher models r-blends. The teacher says, “Listen carefully as I say three words: frog, front, fish. The words frog and front both begin with /f/ /r/. The word fish begins with /f/ but does not have /r/. It does not belong.” In Unit 8, Week 2, Day 1, the teacher models dictating, “Listen carefully as I say three words: stork, corn, form. All three words have a sound in common. They all have /ôr/.” The teacher continues to model, and after, the students practice using the list of words. In Unit 3, Week 1, Day 3, the teacher models and students practice. After students have practiced, they work on the spiral review that reviews -l blends.
• Materials provide clear, precise instructions and directions for connecting phonemes to letters within words. For example, in Launching Benchmark Phonics, Mini-Lesson 7, the teacher says, “This is a picture of an inch on a ruler. The beginning sound in the word inch is /i/. The sound /i/ is spelled with the letter i. Say the sound with me: /i/. This is the sound at the beginning of the word inch.” The teacher models using the word sit, “This is the letter s. It stands for /s/. This is the letter i. It stands for /iii/. Listen as I blend the two sounds: /sssiii/. This is the letter t. It stands for /t/. Listen as I blend all three sounds: /sssiiit/, sit. Say the word with me: sit. Students blend the sounds to read each word: in, it, fit, bit, big, tip, rip, lip, dip, dig.”

Materials incorporate 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 simple words both in isolation and in decodable connected text.

• Throughout the units, the materials include a variety of activities and resources that give students numerous opportunities to practice and reinforce their decoding and encoding skills independently. The students in first grade have access to the digital components along with the hands-on materials. Students practice using the My Reading and Writing book. Students use the Balloon Pop interactive game to practice blending words.
• Beginning in Unit 1, Week 1, Day 1, there are multiple resources used in different activities. In the Spelling-Sound Correspondence activity, the teacher uses multiple different materials such as the Picture Word Card, Sound-Spelling Card, and Frieze Card. In Unit 3, Week 1, Day 2, in the Write Words activity, the teacher and students use Elkonin boxes to listen and write phonemes in the boxes. The teacher follows the script, “Watch and listen as I say crab slowly: /krrraaab/. I know the letter c stands for /k/. I’ll write c. Listen for the next sound: /krrrr/. I hear /r/. I know that the letter r stands for the /r/ sound, so I’ll write r. Listen for the next sound: /krrraaa/. I hear /a/. I know a stands for the /a/ sound. I’ll write a in the third box. Listen for the last sound: /krrraaab/. I hear /b/. I know b stands for the /b/ sound. I’ll write b in the last box.” In Unit 3, Week 1, Day 4 in the Write about the Text: Encode, students draw and write about how people can clean up their neighborhoods to help deepen their comprehension.
• In Unit 2, Week 1, Day 3, students read “Little Red” in the My Reading and Writing book. The teacher guides the students through reading the text. The materials guide the teacher to remind the students that they have also been learning about decoding short e words and the high-frequency words said, two, look, and my. The text includes the sentence, “I see two big ears.” The text provides opportunities for the students to practice applying their knowledge of letter-sound correspondences with support from the teachers as well as independently.
• In Unit 8, Week 1, Day 4, students use the My Reading and Writing book and respond to “Kim’s Day.” Students draw and write a story about a rainy day. Students use the Student Self-Check to evaluate their writing progress.
• The materials include a variety of activities and materials for applying letter-sound correspondence in instruction and in independent practice. Students use hands-on manipulatives such as letter cards and ePocket charts to build words, identify sounds in words, and manipulate sounds in words. For example, in Unit 6, Week 1, Day 2, the teacher displays Letter Cards for the word bike and tells students to blend the phonemes. The teacher reminds students that the vowels i and final e work together to make the i say its name. The teacher models blending all the sounds together and reading the word: /biiik/, bike. The teacher changes the b to h and repeats with hike. Students identify missing letters in words presented through labeled pictures and write initial and/or final sounds in the My Reading and Writing book during Unit 6, Week 1, Day 3. 
• The materials include opportunities for students to decode and encode simple one-syllable words in isolation. For example, in Mini-lesson 14 in the Launching Phonics workshop, students build words using word ladders. The teacher says, “I’ll start with the word fun. What Letter Cards do we need to make the word? The word fun is spelled f-u-n. Now let’s change one letter in the word fun to make a word that names something that you see in the sky. Yes, sun. We need to change the first letter in fun and replace it with the letter s.” Students practice building the words bun, bug, and big independently on the word ladders.
• Decoding in connected texts is included in the materials. For example, in Unit 2, Week 1, Day 3, students read “Little Red.” The material guides the teacher to remind the students that they have also been learning about decoding short e words and high-frequency words said, two, look, and my. The text includes the sentence, “I see two big ears.”

Evaluation for 3.B.1
Materials provide systematic and direct (explicit) instruction, practice, and review to support the development of oral syllable awareness skills, as outlined in the TEKS.

Materials do not provide systematic and direct (explicit) instruction, practice, and review to support the development of oral syllable awareness skills, as outlined in the TEKS.

Materials do not provide a systematic sequence for introducing oral syllable awareness activities that begins with simple skills (detecting, blending, and segmenting syllables) and gradually transition to more complex skills such as adding, deleting, and substituting syllables. Materials do not include scripted direct (explicit) instruction for teaching oral syllable awareness skills. Materials do not incorporate a variety of activities and resources to develop, practice, and reinforce skills (through cumulative review).

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Materials provide a systematic sequence for introducing oral syllable awareness activities that begins with simple skills (detecting, blending, and segmenting syllables) and gradually transition to more complex skills such as adding, deleting, and substituting syllables.

• The materials do not provide a systematic sequence for introducing oral syllable awareness activities. No evidence is located in the lessons for introducing oral syllable awareness activities. In the Scope and Sequence for first grade, students begin working on syllables in Unit 7, adding syllables in compound words and substituting syllables in compound words. In Unit 8, students begin to delete syllables in compound words. In Unit 8, Week 1, Day 3, students delete syllables in compound words.
• The materials do not provide lessons that begin with simple skills and gradually transition to more complex skills such as adding, deleting, and substituting syllables. The materials include lessons focusing on deleting initial and final sounds (phonemes) in words but not for syllables in words. No evidence is located in the lessons for introducing oral syllable awareness activities. The materials do not include lessons for detecting, blending, adding, or deleting syllables within words. 

Materials include scripted direct (explicit) instruction for teaching oral syllable awareness skills.

• The materials do not include scripted direct (explicit) instruction for teaching oral syllable awareness skills. No evidence is located in the lessons that include scripted direct (explicit) instructions. The materials do not include lessons for detecting, blending, adding, or deleting syllables within words. The materials include lessons with scripted direct (explicit) instruction focusing on deleting initial and final sounds (phonemes) in words but not for syllables in words.

Materials incorporate a variety of activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce skills (through cumulative review).

• The materials do not incorporate a variety of activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce skills (through cumulative review). No evidence is located in the Scope and Sequence or in the Pacing Guide for lessons focusing on activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce oral syllabication skills. The Skills at a Glance section in each unit does not include oral syllabication skills activities and resources.

Evaluation for 3.B.2
Materials provide systematic and direct (explicit) instruction, practice, and review to support the development of phonemic awareness skills, as outlined in the TEKS.

The materials meet the criteria for this indicator. The materials provide systematic and direct (explicit) instruction, practice, and review to support the development of phonemic awareness skills, as outlined in the TEKS.

Materials provide a systematic sequence for introducing phonemic awareness activities that begins with identifying, blending, and segmenting phonemes (the smallest unit of sound) and gradually transition to more complex manipulation practices such as adding, deleting, and substituting phonemes. Materials include scripted direct (explicit) instruction for teaching phonemic awareness. Materials include direct (explicit) detailed guidance for connecting phonemic awareness skills to the alphabetic principle, helping to transition students from oral language activities to basic decoding and encoding. Materials incorporate a variety of activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce skills (through cumulative review).

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Materials provide a systematic sequence for introducing phonemic awareness activities that begins with identifying, blending, and segmenting phonemes (the smallest unit of sound) and gradually transition to more complex manipulation practices such as adding, deleting, and substituting phonemes.

• The materials provide a systematic sequence for introducing phonemic awareness activities that begin with (the smallest unit of sound) and gradually transition to more complex manipulation practices. Lessons cover isolating phonemes in Unit 1 before blending. Lessons also cover adding and deleting phonemes before substituting phonemes. In Unit 2, Week 1, Day 2, the teacher models the word mess. The teacher says, “Listen as I say the sounds in a word: /mmm/ /eee/ /sss/. I will blend the sounds together and say the word: /mmmeeesss/, mess. Let’s say the word: mess.” The students practice blending the phonemes in the words net, tell, less, bed, and yes. The lessons transition to more complex manipulation of phonemes, such as in Unit 5, Week 2, Day 3. The teacher models how to substitute the middle sound in hop to make hope. The teacher says, “I am going to say the sounds in the word hop: /h/ /o/ /p/, hop. Now I am going to change the /o/ sound in the middle to /o/. What is the new word? The word is /h/ /o/ /p/, hope. Say the sounds with me: /h/ /o/ /p/, hope.” The students continue to practice with not and note.
• In Unit 5, Week 1, students are identifying, blending, and spelling words with long a. In Unit 5, Week 1, Day 1, in the Phonological Awareness: Phoneme Categorization activity, the teacher says, “Listen carefully as I say three words: face, take, mat. The words face and take have the sound /a/ in the middle. The word mat has the sound /a/ in the middle. It does not belong.” The teacher continues modeling, “Listen carefully as I say three words: shade, had, rake. The words shade and rake have the sound /a/ in the middle. The word had has /a/ in the middle. It does not belong.” In Unit 5, Week 1, Day 2 in the Phonological Awareness: Phoneme Blending activity, the teacher says, “Listen as I say the sounds in a word: /l/ /a/ /t/. I will blend the sounds together and say the word: /lllaaat/, late. Let’s say the word: late.” In the practice portion of the activity, the teacher says the word sound by sound and has students blend the sounds together and say the word. In Unit 5, Week 1, Day 3, the Phonological Awareness: Phoneme Substitution models how to change the middle sound in cap to make the word cape. The teacher says, “I am going to say a word with three sounds: /k/ /a/ /p/, cap. Now I am going to change the /a/ in cap to /a/. What is the new word? The new word is /k/ /a/ /p/, cape.” The teacher repeats the routine with the practice words, having students supply the new word.

Materials include scripted direct (explicit) instruction for teaching phonemic awareness.

• The materials include scripted direct (explicit) instruction for teaching phonemic awareness. In Unit 2, Week 2, Day 1, the teacher displays Letter Cards for the word dug. The materials include a teacher script with statements for the teacher to use. The teacher says, “This is the letter d. It stands for /d/. This is the letter u. It stands for /u/. Listen as I blend the two sounds: /duuu/. This is the letter g. It stands for /g/. Listen as I blend all three sounds: /duuug/, dug. Say the word with me: dug.” The lessons cover a continuum of phonemic awareness skills. For example, in Unit 5, Week 3, Day 3, the teacher models how to change the final consonant sound in rage to make the word race. The lesson includes the teacher script “I am going to say a word with three sounds: /r/ /a/ /j/, rage. Now I am going to change the /j/ in rage to /s/. What is the new word? The new word is /r/ /a/ /s/, race. Say the sounds with me: /r/ /a/ /s/, race.” The students continue to practice with pace/page, age/ace, force/forge, gel/cell, cent/gent .
• The materials support teachers in providing direct (explicit) instruction in phonemic awareness. The materials include explicit instruction on how to clearly articulate phonemes, which is found in Interactive Sound-Spelling Cards and Articulation Videos. For example, the short u card says, “Open your mouth a little. Keep your tongue in the middle. Use your voice to make the /ŭ/ sound. Touch your throat to feel the sound.” 

Materials include direct (explicit) detailed guidance for connecting phonemic awareness skills to the alphabetic principle, helping to transition students from oral language activities to basic decoding and encoding.

• The materials include direct (explicit) detailed guidance for connecting phonemic awareness skills to the alphabetic principle, helping to transition students from oral language activities to basic decoding and encoding. In Unit 1, Week 2, Day 1, the teacher displays the Picture Word Card for inch. The teacher says, “This picture shows an inch on a ruler. The beginning sound in inch is /i/. The sound /i/ is spelled with the letter i. Say the sound with me: /i/. This is the sound at the beginning of inch. Listen again to the beginning sound /i/.” The materials provide specific and precise terms, phrasing, and statements for the teacher to use during instruction. The materials include lessons with a gradual release of responsibility model in Unit 3, Week 3, Day 2. The teacher displays Elkonin boxes. The teacher says, “Watch and listen as I say jump slowly: /juuummmp/.” The teacher moves a marker into a box for each phoneme she says. The teacher says, “I know the letter j stands for /j/. I’ll write j. Listen for the next sound: /juuu/. I hear /u/. I know that the letter u stands for /u/, so I’ll write u. Listen for the next sound: /juuummm/. I hear /m/. I know that the letter m stands for /m/, so I’ll write m. Listen for the last sound: /juuummmp/. I hear /p/. I know the letter p stands for /p/. I’ll write p in the last box.” The students practice on their workmats with the words bumped and filled.
• Materials provide specific and precise terms, phrasing, and statements that teachers can use during core instruction for connecting phonemic awareness skills to the alphabetic principle. For example, in Unit 6, Week 2, Day 1, the teacher script says, “The middle sound in cube is /u/. In cube, the letters u and e work as a team to make u say its name: /u/. The e is silent but causes the u to change its sound. Listen again to the sound: /u/.” Throughout Unit 6, Week 1, students are identifying, blending, and spelling words with long e and long u. In Unit 6, Week 1, Day 1 in the Phonological Awareness: Phoneme Categorization activity, the teacher models, “Listen carefully as I say three words: neat, these, bike. The words neat and these have the /e/ sound in the middle. The word bike has the /i/ sound in the middle. It does not belong.” The teacher continues, “Listen carefully as I say three words: fuse, cute, shut. The words fuse and cute have the /u/ sound in the middle. The word shut has the /u/ sound in the middle. It does not belong.” In the practice part of the activity, the teacher asks students to identify the word that does not have a long u sound.

Materials incorporate a variety of activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce skills (through cumulative review).

• Materials incorporate a variety of activities and resources for students to develop and practice through cumulative review. Throughout each first-grade week, students have a phonological awareness activity they practice from Day 1 through Day 3. For example, in Unit 5, Week 1, students are identifying, blending, and spelling words with long a. In Unit 5, Week 1, Day 1, in the Phonological Awareness: Phoneme Categorization activity, the teacher says, “Listen carefully as I say three words: face, take, mat. The words face and take have the sound /a/ in the middle. The word mat has the sound /a/ in the middle. It does not belong.” The teacher continues modeling, “Listen carefully as I say three words: shade, had, rake. The words shade and rake have the sound /a/ in the middle. The word had has /a/ in the middle. It does not belong.” In Unit 5, Week 1, Day 2 in the Phonological Awareness: Phoneme Blending activity, the teacher says, “Listen as I say the sounds in a word: /l/ /a/ /t/. I will blend the sounds together and say the word: /lllaaat/, late. Let’s say the word: late.” In the practice portion of the activity, the teacher says the word sound by sound and has students blend the sounds together and say the word. In Unit 5, Week 1, Day 3, Phonological Awareness: Phoneme Substitution models how to change the middle sound in cap to make the word cape. The teacher says, “I am going to say a word with three sounds: /k/ /a/ /p/, cap. Now I am going to change the /a/ in cap to /a/. What is the new word? The new word is /k/ /a/ /p/, cape.” The teacher repeats the routine with the practice words, having students supply the new word.
• The materials provide resources, including manipulatives to reinforce students’ phonemic awareness skills, such as Unit 6, Week 1, Day 1. The students identify the same medial sounds in words. “Listen carefully as I say three words: like, nice, fit. The words like and nice have the long i/i/ in the middle. The word fit has the short i/i/ in the middle. It does not belong.” The students use Letter Cards and work on blending and building words in Unit 4, Week 2, Day 2, small group work. The teacher provides the students with Letter Cards c, h, p, n, t, m, a, o, and i. The teacher says the word chop and the students push forward the letter cards to spell the word. The teacher asks the students to change the letter o to i and change the word from chop to chip. The students then change the letter p to n to change the word from chip to chin. The students continue to practice with match/patch/pitch.

Evaluation for 3.C.1
Materials provide systematic and direct (explicit) instruction, practice, and review to develop students’ knowledge of grade-level sound-spelling patterns, as outlined in the TEKS.

The materials meet the criteria for this indicator. Materials provide systematic and direct (explicit) instruction, practice, and review to develop students’ knowledge of grade-level sound-spelling patterns, as outlined in the TEKS.

Materials provide a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level sound-spelling patterns, as outlined in the TEKS. Materials provide scripted direct (explicit) instruction for grade-level sound-spelling patterns. Materials incorporate a variety of activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce skills (through cumulative review). Materials provide a variety of activities and resources to decode and encode words that include taught sound-spelling patterns in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in decodable connected text that builds on previous instruction (e.g., within sentences or decodable texts).

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Materials provide a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level sound-spelling patterns, as outlined in the TEKS.

• The materials provide a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level sound-spelling patterns as outlined in the TEKS. In grade 1, the scope and sequence guides the learner through all of the spelling patterns according to the TEKS. For example, the year starts by reviewing the short vowel. The end of Unit 1 begins with l, r, and s blends. Students are introduced to digraphs by Unit 4 before moving into the long vowel sounds in Units 5–7. The lesson objective progresses from less to more complex for grade 1. The scope and sequence list the primary phonics skills that are introduced each week, as well as spiral skills that are a review of previously covered material. For example, instruction begins by reviewing the short vowels in Unit 1. Instruction for digraphs starts in Units 2 and 3 with l, r, s blends, followed by digraphs in Unit 4.
• In the Launching the Phonics and Word Study Workshop in the section Scope and Sequence, the materials provide a clear outline of the lesson sequencing. The Scope and Sequence lists the primary phonics skills that will be introduced each week, as well as spiral skills that are a review of previously covered material. In each unit of the materials under the section Unit Resources, the materials include a Pacing Guide. The pacing guide shows a systematic progression of letter introduction and application. In Unit 2, short e is introduced (reviewed) in the first week and then the third week focuses on I-blends. The material progresses in complexity throughout the lessons and units.

Materials provide scripted direct (explicit) instruction for grade-level sound-spelling patterns.

• The materials include specific and precise terms the teacher can use during instruction, but the objective is not within the script. The learning targets are presented at the beginning of the week for each unit, which include decoding regularly spelled one-syllable words, printing uppercase and lowercase letters legibly, and isolating and producing sounds by categorizing single-syllable words.
• Materials provide scripted direct (explicit instruction for grade-level sound-spelling patterns.The materials include specific and precise terms the teacher can use during instruction. For example, in Unit 3, Week 1, Day 1, the teacher introduces the Picture Word Card: drum. The teacher says, “This is a picture of a drum. The beginning sounds are /d/ and /r/. The sounds /d/ and /r/ are spelled with the letters d, r. Say the sounds with me: /drrr/. These are the sounds at the beginning of the word drum. The letters dr together are called a consonant blend. Consonant blends make two sounds. Listen again to the sounds: /drrr/.” The teacher then shows students the r-blend Frieze Card, and students say each picture. The teacher explains that each name begins with an r-blend. An r-blend is another consonant plus /r/.
• The materials provide teachers with important points to emphasize about grade-level sound-spelling patterns.For example, the teacher lesson plan found in Unit 5, Week 3, Day 1 includes scripted points such as, “This is the letter g. It can stand for /j/. I will try the sound /j/ to see if it makes sense in the word. Gel is a real word, so g stands for /j/ in the word.”
• The lesson sequence follows a gradual release of responsibility model. In Unit 6, Week 1, Day 2, in the section Blend and Build Words, the teacher displays the Letter Cards for the word bike. The teacher blends the phonemes and says, “Remember that the vowels i and final e work together to make the i say its name. Let’s blend all the sounds together and read the word: /biiik/, bike.” The teacher changes the b to h to make the word hike and continues to practice with the word spike. After modeling with the word spike, the teacher provides the students with Letter Cards; the teacher says /l/ /i/ /f/ and guides the students to add or change letters to make new words. The students continue to practice with like, lime, side, slice, lice, mice, mile, and smile.
• In Unit 7, Week 1, Day 1, the teacher displays the picture word card goat. The teacher says, “This is a picture of a goat. The middle sound in the word goat is /o/. One way to spell/o /is with the letters oa. Say the sound with me: /o/. This is the sound we hear in the middle of the word goat. Listen again: /o/.” The teacher displays the sound-spelling card for long o. The teacher reads aloud the action rhyme, and the students are encouraged to chime in. The teacher pulls the Frieze cards with a picture of a coat, hoe, gold, and bow. The teacher points out that the long o sound can be spelled o, oa, oe, or ow. The students write the words from the picture cards and circle the letters that make the long o sound for each word. Students practice using the following words: boat, toe, old, scold, road, grow, snow, and mold. Students practice on Day 2 by reading “Let’s Go Go Go!” Students are asked to circle the long /o/ words. In the My Reading and Writing book, the lesson spirals back to a previously taught sound-spelling pattern long /e/.
• In Unit 7, Week 2, day 1, the teacher displays the word card feet, “These are feet. The middle sound in the word feet is /e/. One way to spell/e/ is with two e’s together. Say the sound with me: /e/. This is the sound we hear in the middle of the word feet. Listen again: /e/.” The teacher displays the sound-spelling card for long e. The teacher reads aloud the action rhyme, and the students are encouraged to chime in. The teacher pulls the Frieze cards with a picture of a peach, sheep, field, and me. The teacher points out that the long e sound can be spelled e, ea, ee, or ie. The students write the words from the picture cards and circle the letters that make the long e sound for each word. Students practice using the following words: meat, weed, eat, each, sweet, and mean. Students practice on Day 3 using the Elkonin boxes followed by a spiral review of long o words: bow, low, glow, goat, moat, float, and hold.

Materials incorporate a variety of activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce skills (through cumulative review).

• The materials include a variety of activities to develop, practice, and reinforce skills that reinforce students’ knowledge of sound-spelling patterns. For example, the grade 1 program introduces r-blends and digraphs. The interactive learning games and student decodable reader text allow students to continuously practice. For example, In Unit 4, Week 1, Day 2, the teacher guides students through a reading of the decodable text “The King’s Wish.” The teacher models how to blend decodable words and read high-frequency words that students struggle with.
• A variety of resources and activities are used to reinforce learning, including letter cards and Elkonin Boxes. For example, In Unit 4, Week 1, Day 1, the teacher displays the Letter Cards for the word shop. The teacher uses an Elkonin box or workmat. The teacher says, “Find the letters s and h. What sound do s and h make when put together? /sh/. Push sh into the first box. (In Elkonin boxes, digraphs appear in one box.) Now find o. What sound does o make? /o/. Push the o next to the digraph sh. Blend the sounds: /shhhooo/. Now find p. Push p into the box. Blend the sounds to read the word: /shhhooop/. One more time: /shhhooop/. Say the word with me: shop.”
• In Unit 5, Week 1, Day 1, in the Blend Word activity, the teacher models blending words using the letter cards. In Unit 5, Week 1, Day 2, in the Write Words activity, teachers and students use the Elkonin boxes to write out the letters for each phoneme they hear.
• In Unit 8, Week 1, Day 3, in the Write Words activity, the teacher models how to spell each word by listening to the sound and writing what they hear, so students do the same.
• Unit 8, Week 2, Day 2, the teacher distributes the BLM 8. The students whisper and read the text. The students circle words that have r-controlled vowels /or/.
• In Unit 9, Week 1, Day 2, the students use letter cards o, u, b, c, h, n, p, r, w, and t to build words with /ou/. The teacher says the word brow, and the students push forward the Letter Cards to spell the word. The students continue to practice building the words ouch, pouch, and pout.

Materials provide a variety of activities and resources to decode and encode words that include taught sound-spelling patterns in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in decodable connected text that builds on previous instruction (e.g., within sentences or decodable texts).

• The materials include a variety of activities and resources to decode and encode words in isolation. The materials include sound spelling cards with TEKS-aligned specific spelling patterns. The workmats allow students to manipulate various patterns to make words. There are decodable readers along with the Phonics and High‐Frequency Word Activity Book. For example, in Unit 2, Week 2, Day 2, the students read Come Here Friend. The students whisper-read the story while the teacher circulates and provides support if needed. The teacher models blending decodable words and high-frequency words.
• In Unit 3, Week 3, Day 1, the teacher uses both the Picture Card and the Frieze Card to introduce consonant blends at the end of words. On the same unit, week, and day in the Blend Words activity, the teacher models blending words with ending consonant blends and then follows by letting students practice using words from the practice list. In Unit 4, Week 2, Day 3, in the Write Words activity, the teacher models listening to the phoneme and writing the sounds they hear. Students join and write the letters they hear for each sound with the list of model words check, whiff, match, and ostrich. Afterward, students practice the write words activity using the practice words provided.
• The materials provide a variety of activities and resources to decode and encode words in decodable connected text. For example, the My Word Study book provides practice for students to read (decode) words that contain the pattern that has been taught /oo/.
• In Unit 5, Week 3, Day 2, students build words with soft c and g sounds using Workmats and Letter Cards r, c, l, f, b, p, g, w, e, and a. The teacher says a word, and the students push forward the letters to spell the word. Students continue to practice the soft c and g spelling through connected text. In the section Read Connected Text, the students whisper read the text on Black Line Master 15, “When I want to send a note, I try to fill up a page with my pencil. I don’t leave much blank space. It puts a grin on my face To give a nice note to a friend.” The students circle words that have soft c and g.
• In Unit 9, Week 1, Day 2, in Spelling/Dictation, the teacher displays Elkonin boxes. The teacher says the word down slowly. The teacher moves a marker for each phoneme. The teacher says, “I know the letter d can stand for /d/. I’ll write the letter d. Listen for the next sound: /dou/. I know the letters o and w stand for /ou/, so I’ll write ow. Listen for the last sound: /dounnn/. I hear /n/. I know the letter n stands for /n/. I’ll write n in the third box.” The students practice on their workmats with the word shout. The students continue additional practice in the My Reading and Writing book. The teacher says the words, and the students write the letters in the boxes.

Evaluation for 3.C.2
Materials provide systematic and direct (explicit) instruction, practice, and review related to accurately identifying, reading, and writing regular and irregular high-frequency words.

The materials meet the criteria for this indicator. Materials provide systematic and direct (explicit) instruction, practice, and review related to accurately identifying, reading, and writing regular and irregular high-frequency words.

Materials provide a systematic sequence for introducing regular and irregular high-frequency words. Materials provide scripted direct (explicit) instruction for decoding and encoding regular and irregular high-frequency words. Materials incorporate a variety of activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce skills (through cumulative review). Materials provide a variety of activities and resources 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).

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Materials provide a systematic sequence for introducing regular and irregular high-frequency words.

• The materials provide a systematic sequence for introducing regular and irregular high-frequency words. For example, in Unit 1, Week 1, Day 1, the high-frequency words are the, see, go, she and, play, little, you, with, for no, jump, one, and have. The words are, said, two, look, my, come, here, to, of, what, put, want, this, saw, and are introduced throughout Unit 2. The high-frequency words come from the top 150 words in the Dolch, Fry, and American Heritage lists. The teacher introduces high-frequency words using the routine Say, Spell, Read, Write. The teacher says the word, spells the word, reads the words with the students, writes the word while spelling it, and then the students use the word in an oral sentence. According to the Scope and Sequence, first graders learn over 100 high-frequency words in the program that are from the Dolch Basic Sight Vocabulary, Fry 100, and American Heritage Top 150 Words in English. The high-frequency words are introduced a few words at a time. The Skills at a Glance highlight the high-frequency words in each unit.
• The introductory lesson plans of the launching units, decodable and non-decodable parts of high-frequency words are addressed directly to students. Routine 5 outlines the procedure for Say, Spell, Read, Write that students use to learn new high-frequency words. There is a note to the teacher about why this routine is important that does address decoding the regular spelling pattern. It states, “Some contain irregular spelling patterns. Others are used in stories before students learn the phonics skills needed to decode them. Therefore, these words must be taught as sight words. Mastery of these words builds fluency and aids in comprehension.” There is no mention of this in the lesson guides. In Unit 2, Week 1, Days 1–5, the focus is on short o, and the high-frequency words taught are are, said, two, look, and my. Words do increase in difficulty from words such as the, see, go, she, and and in Unit 1 to found, your, know, and always in Unit 7. In Unit 8, Week 1, Day 1 teaches the following words boy, city, four, and great using the Say, Spell, Read, Write routine, which every unit uses when introducing the high-frequency words. The teacher points to the word and says, “Let’s spell the word as I point to the letters.” The students proceed to read the word and write the word as they spell it aloud.

Materials provide scripted direct (explicit) instruction for decoding and encoding regular and irregular high-frequency words.

• The materials provide scripted direct (explicit) instruction for encoding regular and irregular high-frequency words. Within the scripted lessons, the teacher introduces high-frequency words using the Say, Spell, Read, Write routine. The teacher says the word and points to it. The teacher spells the word as she points to each letter. The teacher asks the students to read and spell the word. The students write the word as they spell it aloud. The teacher then releases the students to use each word in an oral sentence.
• The lessons employ a gradual release of responsibility with each set of high-frequency words introduced. In Unit 3, Week 1, Day 5, the teacher displays the high-frequency words now, do, which, and went. The students read and spell each word as a group. The teacher guides the students to use the words to create meaningful sentences. The students use Letter Cards and build the high-frequency words what, put, want, this, and saw. The students write the words after building the words with Letter Cards. There is no script for the teacher in the lesson to teach high-frequency words. In Unit 5, Week 1, Day 3, in the High-Frequency Word activity, the teacher displays each word, has students read and spell each word together, dictates each word without showing it, and has students close their eyes and picture the word as they write it. The teacher then displays the word and corrects their writing. In the Spiral Review, students use words because, from, their, and when to build each word with Letter Cards, then they read the word written and use it in a sentence. In Unit 5, Week 3, Day 4, in the Reread the Text: Dear Family activity, the teacher reminds students that they know these high-frequency words too, good, come, and try. Students read Dear Family, reading high-frequency words fluently. Students review the high-frequency words on the last day of the unit. In Unit 6, Week 2, Day 5, the teacher places house, long, off, and small in the ePocket chart. The students read and spell each word as a group. The students use each word in a sentence. Students build each word with Letter Cards. The activity ends with students writing each word on their paper.
• In the Product Supports Section, there are videos that explicitly explain how to teach the students how to decode regular and irregular words through the read, spell, write, and extend routine. The materials provide a routine that is semi-scripted for the teacher to address the decodable and non-decodable parts of the high-frequency words. 

Materials incorporate a variety of activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce skills (through cumulative review).

• The materials incorporate a variety of activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce skills (through cumulative review). In the Unit Launch, Lesson 5, in the section Reread Texts: Build Fluency, the students read the BLM book What Do You See? The teacher reminds the students they know the high-frequency words I, can, see, and the. The students practice reading the BLM text. The students whisper read and then take turns reading in small groups. In Unit 3 in the My Reading and Writing book, the students play a fluency check game. The students point to each word and read it. The students click on the word, and the game reads the word. The students review high-frequency words in the interactive game.
• The materials incorporate a variety of activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce skills (through cumulative review). The materials include high-frequency word cards that the students can use when writing a sentence with the word in their journals. Students practice spelling the word through the interactive word builder. There is a word-builder activity for each unit and week. Students build the words through practice and dictation. They read the word, write the word, and use it in a sentence. In the connected text section of Unit 7, Week 3, Day 2, the students read blackline master (BLM) 6, which includes the high-frequency words country and again. The teacher reviews the high-frequency words. The students use the words in an oral sentence. The students circle the high-frequency words in the text in BLM 6. Day 5 of the unit includes activities that cumulatively reinforce learning for high-frequency words. Students read and spell each word as a group. Then they have students use each word in a sentence.
• The activities and resources support students’ development of high-frequency word knowledge with constant repetition and review. The PW High-Frequency Word cards are used throughout the lessons to practice decoding the words. Interactive learning games such as Wordbuilder for Unit 7, Week 2, and High-Frequency Word videos further reinforce students’ development of high-frequency word knowledge.
• The materials include activities and resources for practicing high-frequency words. One example is found in Unit 7, Week 1, Day 1. Students use the Say, Spell, Read, Write routine to learn new high-frequency words air, along, begin, children, important, letter, open, own, sound, and talk. After the initial introduction, the teacher is instructed to “combine this week’s and last week’s High-Frequency Word Cards. Mix and display one word card at a time as students chorally say each word.”

Materials provide a variety of activities and resources 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).

• The activities and resources support students' development of high-frequency word knowledge. The materials include high-frequency word cards. The students use the cards in lessons to practice reading the words, reviewing the words, and building sentences with the words. The materials include a variety of activities and resources for recognizing, reading, and spelling high-frequency words in isolation. Unit 2, Week 3 contains a page for students to practice spelling high-frequency words in the Phonics & High-Frequency Words Activity Book. In Unit 6, Week 1, Day 3, the teacher displays the high-frequency words after, call, large, and her. The students read and spell each word. The teacher dictates each word without showing it. The students close their eyes, picture the word, and write it. The teacher displays the word, and the students self-correct their writing.
• The materials provide a variety of activities and resources for students to recognize, read, and write in connected text (e.g., within sentences or decodable texts). In Unit 1, Week 1, Day 4 in the Reread the Text: At the Pond activity, the teacher reminds students they know high-frequency words the and see, and they should be able to read these words fluently. The students whisper read At the Pond as the teacher provides corrective feedback as needed. In Unit 2, Week 1, Day 4 in the Reread the Text: Little Red activity, the teacher reminds students they know high-frequency words said, to, look, and my, and they should be able to read these words fluently. The students whisper read Little Red as the teacher provides corrective feedback as needed.
• The materials include High-Frequency Word Cards for each high-frequency word introduced in first grade. The students use the cards in lessons to practice reading the words, reviewing the words, and building sentences with the words. In Unit 3, Week 2, Day 3, the teacher displays the high-frequency words was, there, then, and out. The students read and spell each word. The teacher dictates each word without showing it. The students close their eyes, picture the word and write it. The teacher displays the word, and the students self-correct their writing.
• The materials provide a variety of activities and resources for students to recognize, read, and write high-frequency words in isolation. The materials include high-frequency word cards. The students use the cards in lessons to practice reading the words, review the words, and build sentences with the words. In Unit 6, Week 1, Day 3, the teacher displays the high-frequency words after, call, large, and her. The students read and spell each word. The teacher dictates each word without showing it. The students close their eyes, picture the word and write it. The teacher displays the word, and the students self-correct their writing. For example, in Unit 5, Week 1, Day 3, in the High-Frequency Word activity, the teacher displays each word using the High-Frequency Word card. The students read and spell each word together, dictate each word without showing it, close their eyes, and picture the word as they write it. The teacher then displays the word and corrects their writing.
• In Unit 8, Week 2, Day 4, in the Read the Text: Decode activity, the teacher conducts a guided or choral read with students of the decodable reader Search for Food. The teacher models how to read high-frequency words.

Evaluation for 3.C.3
Materials include systematic and direct (explicit) instruction, practice, and review related to using knowledge and application of syllabication to decode and encode one-syllable or multisyllabic words.

The materials meet the criteria for this indicator. Materials include systematic and direct (explicit) instruction, practice, and review related to using knowledge and application of syllabication to decode and encode one-syllable or multisyllabic words.

Materials provide a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level syllable types and syllable division principles, as outlined in the TEKS. Materials provide scripted direct (explicit) instruction for applying knowledge of syllable types and syllable division principles to decode and encode one-syllable or multisyllabic words. Materials incorporate a variety of activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce skills (through cumulative review). Materials provide 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).

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Materials provide a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level syllable types and syllable division principles, as outlined in the TEKS.

• The materials provide a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level syllable types as outlined in the TEKS. For example, the scope and sequence for introducing grade-level syllable types as outlined in the TEKS begins in Units 1 and 2 with students reading and spelling closed syllable words. Unit 4 focuses on closed syllables. Then, in Units 5 and 6, open syllables are introduced as well as VCE syllables. According to the Scope and Sequence, r-controlled syllables are taught in Unit 8, Week 3, and then skills become more complex in Unit 9 with vowel team syllables and progress further with -le type syllables. 
• The materials provide a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level syllable types and syllable division principles, as outlined in the TEKS. In Unit 4, Week 2, Day 2, in the Write Words section, the teacher uses Elkonin boxes with the word chat. The teacher moves a marker for each sound and blends the word. The teacher then repeats the lesson with the word enchant and explains that enchant is a two-syllable word. The teacher claps to divide the syllable and says, “Both syllables in enchant are closed: en - chant. The consonants at the end ‘close off’ the syllables, keeping the vowel sounds short.” The lessons progress from simple to more complex division types going from short vowel sounds in the syllable to VCe. In Unit 5, Week 2, Day 1, the teacher displays the Picture Word Card for globe. The teacher says, “This is a picture of a globe. The middle sound in globe is /o/. In globe, the letters o and e work as a team to make o say its name: /o/. The e is silent but causes the o to change its sound. Say the sound with me: /o/. This is the vowel sound in the middle of globe. Listen again to the vowel sound: /o/.” The teacher continues to teach the VCe pattern and provides practice with additional words.
• The lessons progress from simple to more complex division types going from short vowel sounds in the syllable to VCe. In Unit 6, Week 1, students begin identifying, blending, and spelling words with VCe syllables. In Unit 7, Week 3, students begin learning open syllables with endings -ight, -ice, and -ile. In Unit 8, Week 3, students learn r-controlled syllables -ern and -urn.

Materials provide scripted direct (explicit) instruction for applying knowledge of syllable types and syllable division principles to decode and encode one-syllable or multisyllabic words.

• The materials provide scripted direct (explicit) instruction applying knowledge of syllable types and syllable division principles to decode one-syllable or multisyllabic words. In Unit 4, Week 2, Day 2, the teacher displays the Letter Card for the word chip. The teacher blends the phonemes and changes the word to ship and then whip. The materials guide the teacher to explain that each word is a single syllable and there is just one vowel sound. The teacher says, “These syllables are ‘closed syllables’ because the final consonant p keeps the vowel /i/ short. We will learn more about syllables in this lesson.” The lessons include specific and precise terms, phrasing, and statements that teachers should use during core instruction. In Unit 5, Week 1, Day 1, the teacher displays the Picture Word Card for skate. The teacher says, “This is a picture of a skate. The vowel sound is /a/. In skate, the letters a and e work as a team to make a say its name: /a/. The e is silent but causes the a to change its sound. Say the sound with me: /a/. This is the vowel sound in the middle of skate. Listen again to the vowel sound: /a/.”
• The materials provide teachers with important points that should be made about syllable types. Unit 4, Week 1, Day 1 says, “Discuss closed syllables. A syllable is a word or word part with one vowel sound. A closed syllable ends in a consonant and usually has a short vowel sound.” It goes on to say, “Explain that bathtub is a two-syllable word, and both syllables are closed. Both end in consonants with short vowel sounds. Point out little and window in the poem. Display the words and draw lines to separate the syllables. Ask students to determine which syllables are closed and why. Guide students to circle words in the poem with consonant digraphs ch, tch, and wh (chirped, cheep, watched, branch, when). Challenge them to tell if syllables are closed.”
• The materials provide teachers with important points to emphasize instruction by applying knowledge of syllable types and syllable division principles to encode one-syllable or multisyllabic words. In Unit 6, Week 1, Day 2, students have been studying VCe syllables with endings -ine, -ife, -ice. In the Write Words activity, the teacher uses Elkonin boxes to model and says, “Watch and listen as I say mine slowly: /mmmiiinnn/.” As the teacher says each phoneme, they move a marker into each box. The teacher says, “I know the letter m stands for /m/. I’ll write m. Listen for the next sound: /mmmiii/. I hear /i/. I know that the letter i teamed with final e stands for the /i/ sound, so I’ll write i. I’ll add the e at the end of the word. Listen for the last sound: /mmmiiinnn/. I hear /n/. I know the letter n stands for the /n/ sound. Then I complete the word by adding the final silent e. There is no marker for final e because it does not make its own sound.” The teacher repeats with the word nice and has students practice on their workmats.
• The materials provide teachers with important points to emphasize about encoding words by applying knowledge of syllable division principles (i.e., dividing words into manageable parts to assist in decoding and encoding). For example, in Unit 7, Week 3, Day 4, the materials guide the teacher to point out and display the words alive and clever from the poem, “Have students divide the words into syllables and identify the open and closed syllables (the open syllables is a in alive, and cle in clever). Reiterate that although many open syllables have long vowel sounds, it isn’t always the case. Sometimes, because they are not the accented syllable, the open syllable ends up being a schwa. Have students find the two-syllable words in the poem. Then students should divide the words and identify open and closed syllables (be/gun, near/ly, hard/ly).”

Materials incorporate a variety of activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce skills (through cumulative review).

• Materials incorporate a variety of activities and resources for students to practice vocabulary (through cumulative review). Decoding is embedded throughout the materials for students to practice syllabication skills. In Unit 4, Week 2, Day 1 provides an opportunity for students to practice words in context in the My Reading and Writing book, where teachers “have students find the word bath. Underline the th digraph and circle the a. Explain that the word ends in a consonant and has a short vowel sound, so it is a closed syllable. Add tub to the end of bath. Draw a slash between the h and t. Circle the u. Underline the b.”
• The materials incorporate a variety of activities and resources for students to reinforce one-syllable words (through cumulative review). In Unit 7, Week 1, Day 2, in small group work, the students work in pairs with one-syllable words. The students write the words row, rock, sock, soak, stop, low, lock, loan, bow, and box on cards. The students sort the words into long o and short o sounds. The students practice identifying and applying the syllable types long o and short o in the lesson to help them sort. In Unit 8, Week 2, Day 2, the lesson introduces the r-controlled vowel /or/. The students then read the Connected Text on BLM 8. The students circle words that have r-controlled vowels /or/.
• Students have multiple opportunities to practice new and previously learned syllable patterns during each lesson. For example, in Unit 8, Week 1, Day 2, students practice and review r-controlled vowels in the Write words section using the Elkonin boxes and the words hard, start park, arm, farm, barn, and barnyard. In Week 2, a spiral review is done during the building words activity with dark, park, part, start, hard, card, cart, and dart.
• In Unit 8, Week 2, Day 2, the lesson focuses on schwa. The teacher says, “Every syllable can have one vowel sound. When a word has two syllables, the vowel sound in one syllable is usually the strongest. In these cases, the other vowel can make an approximate sound like /uh/ or /eh/. This sound is called schwa. A schwa sounds similar to other vowel sounds but is not quite the same sound. The schwa sound can be made by any vowel and can come at any place in a word .” The students repeat the pronunciation of words and hold their hands under their chins to feel the difference. The students practice with other words.

Materials provide 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).

• The materials provide activities and resources for students to practice syllable types and division patterns that were previously taught as well as those recently introduced. For example, the Elkonin boxes allow students to practice multisyllabic words in isolation by moving the letters to the boxes, and the interactive e-games allow students to identify the correct r-controlled vowel words stir, germ, first, perk, and turn by popping the words when they appear on the screen.
• In Unit 9, Week 3, Day 1, students begin learning vowel team syllables -oom and -ood. The teacher says, “Listen as I say three words: food, pool, root. The words food, pool, and root all have the same vowel sound. The vowel sound in food, pool, and root is /oo/.” The teacher continues to model with words took, wood, and foot. The teacher says, “Listen carefully as I say three words: took, wood, foot. The words took, wood, and foot all have the same vowel sound. The vowel sound in took, wood, and foot is /oo/.” Students practice by identifying the middle sound in each practice word. In Unit 9, Week 3, Day 1 in the Blend Words activity, the teacher displays the letter cards for loop. The teacher says, “This is the letter l. It stands for /l/. These are the letters oo. The letters oo together can stand for /oo/ or /oo/. In the word loop, the letters oo stand for /oo/. Listen as I blend the sounds: /llloo/. This is the letter p. It stands for /p/. Listen as I blend all three sounds: /llloop/, loop. Say the word with me: loop.” The teacher continues to model with the word took. The teacher says, “This is the letter t. It stands for /t/. These are the letters oo. The letters oo together can stand for /oo/ or /oo/. In the word took, the letters oo stand for /oo/. Listen as I blend the sounds: /took/. This is the letter k. It stands for /k/. Listen as I blend all three sounds: /took/, took. Say the word with me: took.”
• Students use a variety of activities and resources to practice decoding multisyllabic words in isolation and in decodable text that builds on prior instruction. For example, the Elkonin boxes allow students to practice moving the letters to the boxes, and with the interactive e-games, students are identifying the correct r-controlled vowel words stir, germ, first, perk, and turn by popping the words when they appear on the screen. For example, students use the decodable reader Mark and the Stars. The ebook directs them to read the story and find the r-controlled vowels within the story. Students look for the following words barn, far, car, dark, and farm in the story.
• The materials include opportunities to encode in isolation and connected text. For example, in the My Reading and Writing book, students practice encoding after the decoding lesson from Unit 6, Week 1, Day 4. The student self-checks and makes sure they used long i words spelled with an e at the end as they write a story about a time they fixed a mistake. The materials do not provide a variety of activities and resources to practice encoding.

Evaluation for 3.C.4
Materials connect phonics instruction to meaning by providing systematic and direct (explicit) instruction, practice, and review related to developing morphological awareness.

The materials meet the criteria for this indicator. Materials connect phonics instruction to meaning by providing systematic and direct (explicit) instruction, practice, and review related to developing morphological awareness.

Materials provide a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level morphemes, as outlined in the TEKS. Materials provide direct (explicit) instruction for supporting recognition of common morphemes. Materials provide direct (explicit) instruction for using the meanings of morphemes (e.g., affixes and base words) to support decoding, encoding, and reading comprehension. Materials incorporate a variety of activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce skills (through cumulative review). Materials provide 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).

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Materials provide a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level morphemes, as outlined in the TEKS.

• The materials provide a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level morphemes. The lessons are taught in a logical order and are aligned with the TEKS according to the Correlation to TEKS resources. For example, in Unit 2, Week 2, Day 3, the teacher models how to isolate and pronounce sounds, in short u words. The teacher says, “Listen carefully as I say the sounds in the word bugs: /b/ /u/ /g/ /z/. The word bugs has four sounds. Say the sounds with me: /b/ /u/ /g/ /z/, bugs.” Students repeat the routine with the words from the practice list us, bus, dug, rug, rugs, and tubs. In Unit 6, Week 2, Day 2, students are learning inflectional endings -ed, ing, dropping final -e, and double final consonant. In Unit 6, Week 2, Day 2, students are challenged to spell the word by changing, taking away, or adding letters to build the word. In the Scope and Sequence, it lists inflectional ending -s is taught first, followed by -ed and -ing.

Materials provide direct (explicit) instruction for supporting recognition of common morphemes.

• There is guidance and directions on instruction for supporting the recognition of common morphemes. In Unit 3, Week 3, Day 2, the teacher displays the Letter Cards for the word bend. The teacher blends the word and then changes the b to l and models the word land. The teacher then adds -ed to the word land and says the new word landed. The teacher asks the students to listen to the differences in the words. The teacher points out that the -ed at the end of a verb means the action took place in the past. The teacher continues to practice with bank, bunk, junk; limped, lumped, bumped; went, sent, dent; listed, lasted, and fasted.

Materials provide direct (explicit) instruction for using the meanings of morphemes (e.g., affixes and base words) to support decoding, encoding, and reading comprehension.

• The materials provide direct (explicit) instruction for using the meanings of morphemes (e.g., affixes and base words) to support decoding, encoding, and reading comprehension. The materials are not scripted; however, it does include some guidance and directions for the teacher. For example, in Unit 3, Week 3, Day 2, the teacher displays Elkonin boxes, says the word jump, and moves a marker for each phoneme. The teacher practices with bumped and filled. The teacher reminds the students that -ed at the end of a verb means the action takes place in the past. The students practice identifying and blending the words, but there is no evidence of encoding.
• In Unit 4, Week 1, Day 2, in the Read Connected Text activity, students whisper read the connected text on BLM 10. The teacher points out that the word reading has an inflectional ending -ing. The teacher explains that this word ending is added to verbs to show the action happening in the present.

Materials incorporate a variety of activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce skills (through cumulative review).

• The materials provide a variety of activities and resources for students to develop skills. For example, in Unit 3, Week 2, Day 2, the students read BLM 8. The teacher guides the students to find the contraction it’s. The teacher explains a contraction is a shortened form of two words, it is. The teacher explains the apostrophe takes the place of the letter i. The teacher reads the text with and without the contraction. The students use the word it’s in a sentence.
• The materials provide a variety of activities and resources for students to practice skills. For example, in Unit 6, Week 2, Day 2, in the Blend and Build Words activity in the practice portion, students use the ePocket chart and letter cards to build words with inflectional endings. The teacher says the word, and students choose the correct letters and letters to change in the word. In Unit 3, Week 3, Day 2, in the Write Words activity, students use Elkonin boxes to practice encoding words. The teacher says, “Watch and listen as I say jump slowly: /juuummmp/.” The teacher moves a marker for each phoneme and says, “I know the letter j stands for /j/. I’ll write j. Listen for the next sound: /juuu/. I hear /u/. I know that the letter u stands for /u/, so I’ll write u. Listen for the next sound: /juuummm/. I hear /m/. I know that the letter m stands for /m/, so I’ll write m. Listen for the last sound: /juuummmp/. I hear /p/. I know the letter p stands for /p/. I’ll write p in the last box.” The teacher repeats the routine with the word handed. The students practice using the Elkonin boxes with words bumped and filled.
• The materials incorporate activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce skills (through cumulative review), but there is some evidence present. For example, on Day 5 of each lesson, there is a review that does not relate to morphemes. An example is Unit 9, Week 3, Day 5. Words practiced include another, does, some, and wash, even though the scope and sequence indicates that inflectional endings -er, -es is the focus.

Materials provide 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).

• The materials provide activities and resources for students to decode and encode words with morphemes in decodable connected text that builds on previous instruction (e.g., within sentences or decodable texts). In Unit 3, Week 3, Day 2 in the Read Connected Text activity, students use the Connected Text in BLM 9 to practice identifying inflectional endings. As students whisper read, they underline words with inflectional endings. The teacher reminds them that adding -ed to a word shows that the action happened in the past. In Unit 4, Week 1, Day 2, in the Read Connected Text activity, students whisper read the connected text on BLM 10. The teacher points out that the word reading has an inflectional ending -ing. The teacher explains that this word ending is added to verbs to show the action happening in the present. In Unit 5, Week 3, Day 2, the students use BLM 15 to whisper read. The teacher points out the contraction don’t and explains that it is made up of do not. The teacher says the line with students and replaces don’t with do not to illustrate the difference.

Evaluation for 3.D.1
Materials provide frequent opportunities for students to practice and develop word reading fluency, by using knowledge of grade-level phonics skills to read decodable connected texts with accuracy and automaticity.

The materials meet the criteria for this indicator. Materials provide frequent opportunities for students to practice and develop word reading fluency by using knowledge of grade-level phonics skills to read decodable connected texts with accuracy and automaticity.

Materials include embedded modeling and practice with word lists, decodable phrases/sentences, and decodable connected texts in the lesson. Materials provide practice activities for word reading fluency in a variety of settings. Materials provide a variety of grade-level decodable connected texts that are aligned to the phonics scope and sequence.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Materials include embedded modeling and practice with word lists, decodable phrases/sentences, and decodable connected texts in the lesson.

• The materials include embedded modeling and practice with word lists. In Unit 2, Week 2, Day 1, in the Blend Words activity, the teacher models devoting words with short e using Letter Cards. The teacher says, “This is the letter b. It stands for /b/. This is the letter e. It stands for /eee/. Listen as I blend the two sounds: /beee/. This is the letter g. It stands for /g/. Listen as I blend all three sounds: /beeeg/, beg. Say the word with me: beg.” The teacher repeats for the word led. Students practice using the words on the practice list red, get, bed, men, and tell.
• The materials include guided practice with word lists. For example, in Unit 3, Week 3, Day 1, the teacher displays the Picture Word Card for hand. The teacher tells the students that the final sounds in the word are /n/ and /d/. The students say the sounds. The teacher says, “You have already learned about consonant blends, like sl and cr, at the beginning of words. Consonant blends can also occur at the end of words.” The students practice blending the words stamp, end, jump, lend, drink, nest, and went. The students then practice. On Day 2, the students whisper-read BLM 9. The students circle words with final consonant blends.
• In Unit 5, Week 1, Day 2, in the Spelling/Dictation activity, the teacher models how to encode the long a words take and made. The teacher says, “Watch and listen as I say take slowly: /taaak/. I know the letter t stands for /t/. I’ll write t. Listen for the next sound: /taaa/. I hear /a/. I know that the letter a paired with final -e stands for the sound /a/, so I’ll write a. Listen for the last sound: /taaak/. I hear /k/. I know the letter k usually stands for /k/ at the end of words. I’ll write k in the third box. Then I complete the word by adding the final silent -e. There is no marker for final -e because it does not make its own sound.” The students practice words came and plate. In Unit 5, Week 1, Day 5, in the Read for Fluency activity, students read At the Lake in the decodable lap book.
• In Unit 7, Week 1, Day 1, the teacher introduces the Picture Word Card for goat. The teacher names the picture and says, “One way to spell the long o sound is with the letters oa. Say the sound with me: /o/. This is the vowel sound in the middle of the word goat. Listen again to the middle sound: /o/.” The teacher introduces the other long o vowel teams, oa, ow, oe, or o.
• The materials include independent practice with decodable text. For example, in lesson Unit 7, Week 1, Day 3, the students read connected text from Place to Place and blend decodable words. Students then reread the text with a partner during independent work time. During small-group time, students read and reread From Place to Place in the My Reading and Writing book or How We Go in the Decodable Lap Book with a partner to develop fluency. These two resources are revisited throughout the unit for students to read independently and in small groups. The My Reading and Writing book and Decodable Lap Books are used to provide students with opportunities to improve fluency and automaticity.

Materials provide practice activities for word reading fluency in a variety of settings (e.g., independently, in partners, in guided small groups, etc.).

• The materials provide partner practice with word reading fluency in the materials. For example, in Unit 1, Week 3, Day 2, students reread the text Let’s Plant Seeds with a partner. The student’s partner must sign to confirm reading. In Unit 5, Week 1, Day 1, the teacher introduces the word skate using the Picture Word Card for skate. The teacher explains the vowel team a_e. In Share and Reflect on the same day, the students work and make a list of long a words with silent -e with a partner. The students share their words. In Unit 9, Week 3, Day 2 in the I Read Jack’s Jobs, after students read the text and connect phonics to comprehension in the Independent Reading section, students work with partners to reread Jack’s Jobs. Partners should sign to confirm reading.
• The materials guide teachers to provide practice with word reading fluency in small groups. For example, in Unit 2, Week 1, Day 1, the teacher displays letter cards for the word get. Students use an Elkonin box or the workmat, and the teacher says, “Find g. What sound does g make? /g/. Push g into the first box. Now find e. What sound does e make? /eee/. Push the e next to the g. Blend the sounds together. /geee/. Now find t. Push t into the box. Blend the sounds. /geeet/. Blend the sounds to read the word: /geeet/. One more time: /geeet/. Say the word with me: get. Repeat with other words with the short e sound (bed, bell, bet, leg).” In Unit 3, Week 3, Day 4, the teacher reminds students they know these high-frequency words who, could, by, them, was, there, then, and our. The teacher reminds students that they have been learning about decoding words with final consonant blends and for them to use what they know about the sound the letter makes to read the word. Students whisper-read Grant’s Coat as the teacher listens and provides corrective feedback. In Unit 6, Week 2, Day 3, the teacher conducts a second reading of Steve’s House, having partners read to each other while the teacher monitors. For additional practice, the teacher may use the accountable text A Hat For Pete. 
• Independent practice opportunities with word lists, decodable phrases/sentences, and decodable texts are included in the materials. For example, in Unit 5, Week 1, Day 3, students draw a picture of a robot they would like to have in connection with Make a Robot, then students read At the Lake. In Unit 9, Week 3, Day 2, while the teacher is working with small groups, students read all of their high-frequency word sentences. In Unit 10, Week 1, Day 4, the teacher reminds the students to use what they know about spelling patterns kn, wr, and gn to decode words. The students whisper read Do You Know Me? while the teacher circulates. The students work in small groups taking turns rereading the text aloud for additional practice.

Materials provide a variety of grade-level decodable connected texts that are aligned to the phonics scope and sequence.

• The materials provide a variety of grade-level decodable connected texts that are aligned to the phonics scope and sequence. Decodable connected texts are found in the My Reading and Writing books and the decodable lap books. Units 1–10 include three decodables and two connected texts in the My Reading and Writing books. Every unit has decodable readers for each week that are connected to the skills being learned. For example, in Unit 1, Week 1, Day 2, using Five Tadpoles from My Reading and Writing book, the teacher says, “Many letters can stand for more than one sound. When we hear /z/, we know that the letter z stands for the sound. But, the letter s can also stand for /z/, especially at the ends of words.”
• In Unit 4, Week 2, Day 1, the teacher introduces the consonant digraphs ch, tch, and wh. The teacher teaches the letters and sounds for the digraphs. The decodable book for the unit includes Chad and Patch and focuses on -ch,-tch, and -wh. The students read the decodable book independently, with a partner, or in a small group.
• In Unit 5, there are three primary skills taught—long a, long o, soft c, g. The accountable text found in My Reading and Writing student books includes practice on all of these skills as well as spiraled skills from previous units. The Decodables focus on current learning. The words were chosen in a controlled fashion to ensure decoding practice on what skills students were taught.In Unit 5, Week 1, Day 2, the lesson indicates, “While you are meeting with small groups, have partners reread previous weeks’ stories in My Reading and Writing and the decodable lap book to build fluency throughout the week. In Unit 7, Week 2, Day 1, the teacher introduces the long e sound with ea, e, ie, and ee. The teacher displays pictures and a sample for each spelling of long e. On Day 2, the teacher distributes Connected Text BLM 5. The students independently whisper-read the text and circle words that have long e spellings.

Evaluation for 4.1
Materials include developmentally appropriate diagnostic tools (e.g., formative and summative) and guidance for teachers to measure and monitor student progress.

The materials meet the criteria for this indicator. Materials include developmentally appropriate diagnostic tools (e.g., formative and summative) and guidance for teachers to measure and monitor student progress.

Materials include a variety of diagnostic tools that are developmentally appropriate. Materials provide clear, consistent directions for accurate administration of diagnostic tools. Materials include data-management tools for tracking individual and whole-class student progress.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Materials include a variety of diagnostic tools that are developmentally appropriate.

• The materials include a variety of diagnostic tools that are developmentally appropriate for measuring phonological awareness and phonics skills. The Assessment and Screener Handbook provides assessments for phonological and phonemic awareness, a phonics survey, and progress monitoring assessments.
• The diagnostic tools included in the materials reflect the continuum of phonological awareness skills as explained in the Kindergarten TEKS. The skill sets are organized along a continuum of phonological awareness skill development. In the schedule for grade 1, students are asked to recognize rhyme, produce rhyme, isolate phonemes, blend onset and rime, blend syllables, segment phonemes, substitute and distinguish initial sounds, distinguish syllables, blend phonemes, substitute final sounds, substitute medial sounds, and add phonemes.
• The materials include a variety of diagnostic tools that are developmentally appropriate. In the Benchmark Phonics and Word Study Workshop portion of the online library, under Resources, there is a tab for assessments. The Assessment and Screener Handbook provides assessments for phonological and phonemic awareness, a phonics survey, and Progress monitoring assessments. The material gives phonological awareness assessments that are broken down into assessment schedules, assessments, and using assessment results. The diagnostic tools reflect the continuum of phonological awareness and phonics skills as explained in TEKS 2Av—demonstrate phonological awareness by blending spoken phonemes to form one-syllable words and by vii—demonstrate phonological awareness by segmenting spoken one-syllable words of three to five phonemes into individual phonemes, including words with initial and final consonant blends. For phonics, the directions for the Comprehensive Phonics survey say, “This assessment consists of 50 nonsense words to confirm students’ decoding skills. Some students do well on real-word tests of phonics due to their wide sight-word knowledge yet struggle when applying those same decoding skills to new words. The nonsense word test accounts for this and assesses true decoding application. Administer this assessment as a follow-up to the real-word tests (cumulative phonics assessments), especially for students who do okay on these assessments but seem to struggle decoding while reading.”
• The teachers have access to assessments for kindergarten to second grade, so testing for students can be adjusted depending on the students’ levels. The assessments include testing for beginning-of-year (BOY), middle-of-year (MOY), and end-of-year (EOY). The materials include a 100 Word High-Frequency Screener that examines students’ mastery of 100 of the most frequent words in printed English, including irregular spelling words.

Materials provide clear, consistent directions for accurate administration of diagnostic tools.

• The materials include detailed information that supports teachers’ understanding of the diagnostic tools provided in the curriculum and the scoring procedures. A schedule is included for the Phonological Awareness Assessments with details about grade 1 for the BOY, MOY, and EOY tests. There is space for observational notes under each subtest.
• Materials provide clear, consistent directions for the accurate administration of diagnostic tools. The Phonological Awareness Assessment includes directions for the teacher. The directions include, “Say the sentence. Have the student repeat the sentence and tell you the number of words.” In the High-Frequency Word screener, the directions for the teacher include, “Say the word. Have the student repeat the word and clap the number of syllables.” In the High-Frequency Word 100-Word Screener, the directions are, “Have the student put a finger on the first word on the student sheet and then read across the line, saying the words as quickly as possible. Count as incorrect any word the student misses or hesitates on before reading.” The Comprehensive Phonics Assessment Survey consists of 50 nonsense words to confirm students’ decoding skills. The teacher has the child point to each word and read it aloud. Circle each correct response. Record the child’s errors to use for error analysis (for example, send for smend). Record the number correct and note the speed in the boxes on the Comprehensive Phonics Survey: Individual Scoring Sheet.

Materials include data-management tools for tracking individual and whole-class student progress.

• The materials include a Comprehensive Phonics Survey recording sheet for students’ performance on each individual subtest reading nonsense words such as short vowels, long vowels, and word study. The Letter Sound Assessment includes Recording Forms for each student with pre and post-test speed and accuracy.
• In the Assessment and Screener Handbook in the Teacher Resources, each assessment activity provides a recording sheet that compares the students’ pretest to the post-test. Under the Phonological Awareness tab, it provides a student record form and a class record form to compare students’ BOY, MOY, and EOY data. The assessments provide the next steps to take to adjust instruction based on results. 

Evaluation for 4.2
Materials include integrated progress monitoring tools, with specific guidance on frequency of use.

The materials meet the criteria for this indicator. Materials include integrated progress monitoring tools with specific guidance on the frequency of use.

Materials include progress monitoring tools that systematically and accurately measure students’ acquisition of grade-level skills. Materials include specific guidance on determining the frequency of progress monitoring based on students’ strengths and needs.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Materials include progress monitoring tools that systematically and accurately measure student’s acquisition of grade-level skills.

• The materials include progress monitoring tools that systematically and accurately measure students’ acquisition of grade-level skills such as Phonological Awareness, Print Concepts, Quick Check, Letter Name Assessment, Letter Sound Assessment, and Handwriting Assessment. The Assessments include Phonological Awareness Quick Checks. The checks include Initial Sound Substitution and Final Sound Substitution, which are first-grade TEKS. The checks include a recording area for BOY, MOY, and EOY.
• Progress monitoring tools reflect multiple accurate methods for assessing students. To ensure accuracy in the assessment of children, the assessments are evidence-based and aligned with the TEKS. Each unit includes a Cumulative Assessment that is administered at the end of the unit. For example, in the Phoneme Isolation quick check, there are two different activities for the teacher to administer. In the Phoneme Isolation Quick Check 7, the teacher follows the directions that say, “Say the word. Have the student repeat the word and tell you the beginning sound. If the student answers correctly, place a check mark (✓) in the scoring column. If the student’s response is incorrect, record the error. To find the total score, add the number of check marks.” In Phoneme Isolation Quick Check 8, students are still recognizing rhyme, but in a different activity, and the directions say, “Say the word. Have the student repeat the word and tell you the middle sound. If the student answers correctly, place a check mark (✓) in the scoring column. If the student’s response is incorrect, record the error. To find the total score, add the number of check marks.”
• In the Phonological Awareness Assessment, the checks include Initial Sound Substitution and Final Sound Substitution, which are first-grade TEKS. The checks include a recording area for BOY, MOY, and EOY progress. In Unit 1, Week 3, Day 5, in the Reread for Fluency section, the materials guide the teacher to note students’ speed, accuracy, and intonation and provide feedback. The materials guide the teacher to make this note on Day 5 of the Units.

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

• The materials include specific guidance on determining the frequency of progress monitoring based on students’ strengths and needs. In the Assessment section, the materials include Phonological Awareness Assessment Schedules. The schedule suggests administering First Grade assessments three times a year—BOY, MOY, EOY. The materials include a Quick Phonics Assessment with Quick Spelling Assessment with directions to administer the tests across a full school year (fall, winter, and spring). The materials include directions for variation in growth and learning and include directions for the teachers to decide how to proceed based on students’ performance in the subtests. In Unit 3, Week 1, Day 5, in Cumulative Assessment, the materials guide the teacher to select five to six students to assess using this week’s assessment for accuracy and fluency in students’ phonics skills. The materials guide the teacher to repeat the assessment on Day 5 of both Week 2 and Week 3 of the same Unit 3. The materials include a Comprehensive Phonics Survey with directions to administer the assessment to each student three times a year–beginning, middle, and end. In Unit 4, Week 1, Day 5, in Cumulative Assessment, the materials guide the teacher to select five to six students to assess using this week’s assessment for accuracy and fluency in students’ phonics skills. Teachers “take note of fluency issues and decayed learning.” The materials guide the teacher to repeat the assessment on Day 5 of both Weeks 2 and 3 of the same Unit 4.
• The materials include an appropriate frequency of assessment for this grade level. Ongoing cumulative assessments are conducted at the end of each three-week unit. A phonemic awareness assessment is included, and the directions indicate, “All students in Grades K-3 should be formally assessed on their phonological awareness abilities multiple times each year. In Kindergarten and Grade 1, these assessments should be administered three times a year—beginning, middle, and end.”
• The materials provide options for progress monitoring in the Assessment Screener and Handbook. The materials state, “Additional assessments are provided as needed to further explore each student’s instructional needs. These include a Print Concepts Quick Check, Letter Name Assessment, Letter Sound Assessment, and Handwriting Assessment.” The following guidance is provided for the Handwriting Assessment, “Administer this assessment three times a year—beginning, middle, and end. Letter formation is best assessed by reviewing a student’s writing. Collect three samples of the student’s work. Evaluate the letter formation and circle on the chart below letters for which students form inconsistently or incorrectly. Mark both uppercase and lowercase letters. Next Steps: Use the results to form small-group handwriting lessons. Model how to write each letter and provide opportunities for students to trace the letter and then practice writing it on paper. Remind students to say the letter’s sound when writing the letter. Finally, have students copy and write 5–7 words containing the letter.” 

Evaluation for 4.3
Materials include guidance for teachers to analyze and respond to data from diagnostic tools.

The materials meet the criteria for this indicator. Materials include guidance for teachers to analyze and respond to data from diagnostic tools.

Materials support teachers’ analysis of diagnostic data to inform the response to individual students’ strengths and needs. Diagnostic tools provide teachers with guidance on how to plan and differentiate instruction based on student data. Materials include a variety of resources that align with data, allowing teachers to plan different activities in response to student data.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Materials support teachers’ analysis of diagnostic data to inform response to individual students’ strengths and needs.

• The materials support teachers’ analysis of diagnostic data to inform the response to individual students’ strengths and needs. The materials include a Quick Phonics Assessment with Quick Spelling Assessment. The assessment includes information on Interpreting QPA Results. The teacher guide includes examples to help teachers interpret the QPA results. The materials guide the teacher in deciding when to proceed to another subtest and when to stop. The assessment includes three different forms of scoring sheets. The scoring sheets for each individual student include a section for scoring each task, such as letter names, beginning and ending consonant digraphs, and letter sounds.
• In the Assessment and Screener Handbook, after the teacher administers the test, there is a guide that explains how to use results to adjust instruction. For example, the guide says, “Use the intervention resources to reteach specific skills. Focus on the power skills of oral blending and oral segmentation, most closely connected to early reading and writing development. Students at this level also need to develop proficiency manipulating sounds, such as adding, deleting, and substituting sounds.”
• The Comprehensive Phonics Survey includes an individual scoring sheet for each student. The directions include steps on conducting the assessment and then steps on responding based on the results. Step 3 includes directions on Adding Repeated Reading Routine to Weekly Independent and Small-Group Work in response to student results. It says, “Repeated Readings is one of the most research-proven ways to build a student’s fluency. Create a repeated reading routine for students to follow during independent work time. You can also incorporate this routine into your small-group work. For example, each lesson can begin with a quick repeated reading of a previously read book or story while you circulate and listen in. Use key decodable readers and other critical weekly texts for these rereadings.” Step 4 includes information for Fluency Intervention. It includes ideas for the teacher to use, such as Echo Read.

Diagnostic tools provide teachers with guidance on how to plan and differentiate instruction based on student data.

• The diagnostic tools provide teachers with guidance on how to plan and differentiate instruction based on student data. The Quick Phonics Assessment with Quick Spelling Assessment includes a guide on Interpreting QPA Results. The guide includes examples designed to help teachers interpret the results. The examples guide teachers with planning instruction based on the students’ performance in each skill set. Each unit includes a Unit Assessment at the end. The materials include a section on How to Use the Information with guidance for the teachers to help them plan instruction, spiral review, and small groups.
• The Assessment and Screener Handbook has information pages about using the tools. For example, the Phonological Awareness Assessment Next Steps outlines for the teacher how to adjust instruction based on the assessment. In grade 1, it states, “Based on your phonological awareness assessment results, adjust pacing as some students might have difficulties maintaining the pace of skills introduced during the Tier 1 instruction. These students need more time on task and instruction delivered in small groups or one-on-one. Use the intervention resources to reteach specific skills. Focus on the power skills of oral blending and oral segmentation, most closely connected to early reading and writing development. Students at this level also need to develop proficiency manipulating sounds, such as adding, deleting, and substituting sounds. Add movements, such as tapping sounds and using tokens and Elkonin (Sound) boxes to help students physically mark sounds. For manipulation tasks, use letter cards to introduce and model the task as these concrete and visual supports often help students understand how to perform these tasks orally.”

Materials include a variety of resources that align to data, allowing teachers to plan different activities in response to student data.

• Materials support teachers’ analysis of diagnostic data to inform the response to individual students’ strengths and needs. In the Assessment and Screener Handbook, after the teacher administers the test, there is a guide that explains how to use results to adjust instruction. Materials provide a variety of research-based student resources that teachers can choose from to respond to student data. For example, the program provides an I Write section for the teacher to use with students who need more support. Unit 8, Week 1, Day 3, says, “Provide students with extra support for the I Write activity. Point out the Vocabulary Bank. Review the words and help students select the words that they might use in their writing. Provide sentence frames as needed: The stars ___. At times the moon looks ___. At times the moon looks ___.”
• Materials provide a variety of research-based student resources that teachers can choose from to respond to student data. For example, the program provides direct instruction of phonics concepts followed by spiral reviews. Small-group lessons are also provided for the teacher to help students who are struggling with a concept or that need more support. Student workbooks called My Reading and Writing books, as well as Phonic and High-Frequency Words Activity Books, reinforce decoding and encoding skills, as well as online interactive learning games, provide practice and reinforcement for students. The ePocket chart provides more practice as well.
• Materials include a variety of resources that align to data, allowing teachers to plan different activities in response to student data. In the Assessment and Screener Handbook, after the teacher administers the test, there is a guide that explains how to use results and different activities to use with students based on their results. For example, the guide says, “Students at this level also need to develop proficiency manipulating sounds, such as adding, deleting, and substituting sounds. Add movements, such as tapping sounds and using tokens and Elkonin (Sound) boxes to help students physically mark sounds. For manipulation tasks, use letter cards to introduce and model the task as these concrete and visual supports often help students understand how to perform these tasks orally.”
• In the Quick Phonics Assessments in the Assessments tab under Interpreting QPA Results, the material includes seven different examples of how to interpret a student's results and how to progress monitor students. For example, in Example 5, the students’ scores indicate that their scores are lower than they should be. It suggests the student may need more intensive intervention to develop phonics and decoding skills.

Evaluation for 5.1
Materials include guidance, scaffolds, supports, and extensions that maximize student learning potential.

The materials meet the criteria for this indicator. Materials include guidance, scaffolds, supports, and extensions that maximize student learning potential.

Materials provide targeted instruction and activities to scaffold learning for students who have not yet mastered grade-level foundational phonics skills. Materials provide targeted instruction and activities to accelerate learning for students who have achieved grade-level mastery of foundational phonics skills. Materials provide enrichment activities for all levels of learners.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Materials provide targeted instruction and activities to scaffold learning for students who have not yet mastered grade-level foundational phonics skills.

• Materials provide targeted instruction and activities to scaffold learning for students who have not yet mastered grade-level foundational phonics skills. The unit overview materials include research-based guidance that supports teachers in understanding developmental continuums across foundational phonics skills. On the page titled, Effective Phonics and Word Study Solutions for Every Classroom, a stair-step graphic is presented with the continuum of foundational skills per grade level, which includes: Purposeful Scope and Sequence—Research-based, moving students in a systematic progression of skills with spiral review to avoid decayed learning. Explicit Instruction with Meaningful Practice—Effective, providing students with the skills to apply learning to real reading and writing experiences. Built-In Differentiation Instruction that supports a wide range of learners for efficient use of instructional time.
• In Unit 2, Week 3, Day 3, the students read “What Is It? Riddles” The students whisper read, and the teacher circulates. The teacher models how to blend decodable words and read high-frequency words that students struggle with. In Unit 5, Week 1, Day 2, the teacher introduces cake, wake, and wade. The teacher uses Letter Cards for the word cake and models blending the phonemes. The teacher models the word wake. In Check to See, the materials guide the teacher to use strategies provided for Small-Group Instruction if the students have difficulty blending words.
• Materials provide additional lessons for targeted instruction that include differentiated instructional approaches. For example, materials contain additional lessons for small-group instruction that is based on students’ areas of need. Each day of the lessons includes a whole-group lesson and a small-group lesson. In Unit 7, Week 2, Day 2, the small-group lesson indicates that the teacher should “Use the following activities during small-group time to reteach and reinforce the whole-group mini-lesson.” The small-group lesson includes directions for blending and building word cards, a spelling word sort, and independent practice/partner work.

Materials provide targeted instruction and activities to accelerate learning for students who have achieved grade-level mastery of foundational phonics skills.

• Materials provide targeted instruction and activities to accelerate learning. In Unit 4, Week 1, Day 1 in the Blend Words activity, students are identifying, blending words, and spelling words with consonant digraphs. In the practice portion of the activity, there are challenge words listed that cover comparative inflectional ending -er that has not been taught yet.
• The Additional Resources section of each Teacher’s Resource System includes targeted instruction and activities to accelerate learning for students who are above level. The “Above-Level Student Supports for Phonics” provides detailed guidance for providing acceleration and enrichment, as well as a 30-week plan with targeted instruction for students who have achieved grade-level mastery for each week. Also found in the Additional Resource section of each Teacher’s Resource System is a bank of “Differentiated Phonological Awareness Routines.” The routines in this bank can be used during whole- and small-group instruction to provide additional practice for students who need extra support and to provide extensions for advanced students.

Materials provide enrichment activities for all levels of learners.

• The materials provide enrichment activities for all levels of learners. The materials include Interactive Learning Games to help students apply their phonics knowledge and provide practice. The games are engaging and provide the students with feedback during the game. The teacher manual has suggestions for engaging activities such as word sorts, word building, read-alouds, songs, and learning games in which students apply their phonics knowledge independently. The materials include ePocket Charts for various spelling patterns. The students use the ePocket Charts to practice the focus skill of the week and apply their knowledge. The ePocket Charts include pictures and word parts to build words. Each unit contains learning games for students to apply phonics knowledge that matches the learning target of the week. Unit 3, Week 1 provides a word-building learning game for practicing long u. The interactive game allows students to move letter tiles to make new words and check their new words by listening to them read aloud.
• The material includes interactive learning games to engage students in extra practice learning phonics skills. There are multiple games for students to provide students with extra practice, such as Balloon Pop, Sorting, Word Builder, and Matching. In the Matching Game for consonant digraphs, students have to match the words with the same consonant digraph. As students flip the cards, the game reads the word to the students. The online material also includes Phonics Songs to go with different phonics skills, as well as High-Frequency Word videos. 

Evaluation for 5.2
Materials include a variety of instructional methods that appeal to a variety of learning interests and needs.

The materials meet the criteria for this indicator. Materials include a variety of instructional methods that appeal to a variety of learning interests and needs.

Materials include a variety of developmentally appropriate instructional approaches to engage students in mastery of the content. Materials support a variety of instructional settings (e.g., whole group, small group, one-on-one).

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Materials include a variety of developmentally appropriate instructional approaches to engage students in mastery of the content.

• The materials include a variety of appropriate instructional approaches to engage students in mastery of the content. The materials include Letter and Phonic Songs to support the phonic patterns in the lessons. The videos are engaging and appropriate for first graders. The materials include Word Study books for each unit. The books include short stories and activities such as We Write and Dictation. The students practice the skill of the week in the activities.
• Throughout all of the units the material provides many developmentally appropriate instructional approaches. For example, in Unit 2, Week 1, Day 1 in the Introduce and Read the poem activity, the teacher displays “Look in a Book!” from the Interactive Big Book. The teacher tells students to listen as they read the poem aloud. The teacher reminds students to visualize or make pictures in their minds to help them understand. After the teacher reads the poem, they have students tell a partner something they visualized. At the end of the lesson, the teacher has students complete the Spiral Review part of the lesson. The material directs students to find and circle words with short i and locate the high-frequency words you, for, and see.
• Unit 7, Week 2, Day 2, provides an opportunity for students to read a connected text “Playing Games,” a poem found in the My Reading and Writing books. The directions tell the teacher to, “Ask students to identify and read high-frequency words that they recognize. Have students find and circle words in the poem that have a long e sound. Then guide students to underline the names of the four games. Reread the poem. Encourage students to join in on the rhyming words.” 

Materials support a variety of instructional settings (e.g., whole group, small group, one-on-one).

• The materials support a variety of instructional settings. The material has each week of every unit broken down by days. Each day's lesson is either listed as a whole group or small group. In the lesson in Unit 1, Week 2, Day 2, the students participate in a Shared Reading of “Baby Animals.” The students practice writing words and using Elkonin boxes. The students then work independently and read BLM 2. At the end of the lesson, the students construct sentences with a partner using the words from BLM 2. In Unit 5, Week 1, Day 2, in Small-Group, the teacher writes the words clap, brake, state, slant, quack, quake, scrap, scrape, grade, and rang. Students work in pairs to write and sort the words with long a (final -e).
• In Unit 2, Week 2, Day 1 Whole-Group in the Share and Reflect activity, the material guides teachers to have students work with a partner to tell them words with short e. Then have students think of a body part with short e. The Independent and Partner Work are sectioned together, “While you are meeting with small groups, have students complete the following independently or with partners. Draw a picture of the characters from Big Bus Gets Stuck doing various actions from the story. Then, describe the picture to a partner. Then have students write a caption for their picture.”

Evaluation for 5.3
Materials include supports for Emergent Bilinguals to meet grade-level learning expectations.

The materials meet the criteria for this indicator. Materials include supports for Emergent Bilinguals to meet grade-level learning expectations.

Materials include linguistic accommodations (communicated, sequenced, and scaffolded) commensurate with various levels of English language proficiency as defined by the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS). Materials encourage strategic use of students’ first language as a means of linguistic, affective, cognitive, and academic development in English.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Materials include linguistic accommodations (communicated, sequenced, and scaffolded) commensurate with various levels of English language proficiency as defined by the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS).

• Materials include linguistic accommodations (communicated, sequenced, and scaffolded) commensurate with various levels of English language proficiency as defined by the ELPS. In Unit 3, Week 1, Day 5 in the Integrated English Language Development (ELD), the material provides tips on how to help students who need different levels of support. In light support, the material guides teachers to Display “Bag and Grab It!” and have a volunteer read the title. The teacher asks, “What are these people doing?” The teacher reviews that they are bagging the trash or putting it in bags. The material guides the teacher to ask students to say the four places the people are bagging trash. The teacher then writes the words park, beach, river, and road/bridge. The material then guides the teachers to read the text and ask volunteers to read the words for the locations. They have student partners take turns reading the two repeating lines. In the moderate support, the material guides the teacher to display “Bag and Grab It!” and have students read the title chorally. The teacher then reviews the meaning of the four location words: park, beach, river, and road/bridge. After, the material guides the teacher to read the text and have student pairs take turns reading the first line of each page: We go to the ___. Then they have volunteers take turns reading the repeating lines: We can clean up. Bag and grab it! In the substantial support, the material prompts teachers to display “Bag and Grab It!” They point to each word in the title and have students help sound them out. They remind students of short a and i sounds. Then the teacher writes and says park, beach, river, and road/bridge and has students repeat the words and identify the pictures that match each one. Then they help them locate each of the four words in the text. The material then prompts the teacher to read the whole text again, pausing for students to read the four words they located and to join in on the repeating phrase Bag and grab it!
• Materials include linguistic accommodations commensurate with various levels of English language proficiency as defined by the ELPS. Unit 10, Week 3, Day 3 includes a box labeled Integrated ELD that explains light support, moderate support, and substantial support for English Language learners. The light support includes the teacher using a sentence stem for the students to complete after reading Light and Shadow. Moderate support directs the teacher to use a frame and encourages students to describe changes. The substantial support section directs the teacher to discuss specific lines with students.

Materials encourage strategic use of students’ first language as a means to linguistic, affective, cognitive, and academic development in English.

• Materials encourage strategic use of students’ first language as a means to linguistic, affective, cognitive, and academic development in English. The material includes multiple Supporting English Language sections throughout the week for teachers to use with their students. In Unit 5, Week 1, Day 5, in the Support English Language, there are three levels of support: Light Support, Moderate Support, and Substantial Support offered to students who need it. Each level of support offers more support than the previous.