iStation Reading Grade K

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

The materials partially meet the criteria for this indicator. Materials include some 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 demonstrate some 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 provide a scope and sequence chart. Kindergarten and Grade 1 are bundled together in the scope and sequence. The Istation “Reading Curriculum Correlated to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading” document on the Istation website contains a document by grade and TEKS that has a column to note Digital Student Experiences and another column on Teacher Resources based on lessons/activities aligned with the TEKS. In this document, resources are categorized by the specific grade-level TEKS.
• The Scope and Sequence provides a document by skill (phonological awareness and phonics are included) and subskill to note in which cycles the skill/subskill is taught (a checkmark is noted if the skill/subskill is taught in that cycle) and the specifics of what is in that cycle if needed. For Phonological Awareness, identifying and isolating initial and final sounds in spoken words in each letter lesson begins in Cycle 1. In another example, as stated on the chart, kindergarten students first learn phonological awareness skills such as “segment spoken sentences into words and clap/count number of words,” “identify, segment and blend syllables in spoken words, and clap/count number of syllables,” and “identify onset and rime; segment and blend parts of a spoken word.” After completing those skills from the Pre Reading Cycle, students continue to master skills such as identifying and isolating initial and final sounds in spoken words. For Phonics, using letter-to-sound knowledge to read CVC words in connected decodable text begins in Cycle 2. As students go through the cycles, they move to apply letter-sound knowledge of consonant blends to decode CCVC and CVCC words. The chart indicates the “Cycle of Instruction” and lists all the cycles available for Kindergarten and Grade 1. The cycles have Pre-Reading and Cycles 1–7.

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

• The materials provide a scope and sequence document in which Kindergarten and Grade 1 are bundled together. Phonological and phonemic awareness skills are listed on the left-hand side of the document, and a checkmark under a cycle indicates what cycle presents that skill.
• Although the materials do not provide a phonological awareness timeline by age group, the materials show that lessons overlap across grade levels. For example, the scope and sequence chart shows that kindergarten and grade 1 students complete a phonological awareness lesson in Cycle 1 that addresses “identifying and isolating initial and final sounds in spoken words in each letter lesson.” This indicates that students review and build upon the previous year’s lessons.
• There is no evidence of a vertical alignment document. Materials include a breakdown of which cycles are taught in which grade. Cycles 0–7 are listed for kindergarten, and Cycles 3–10 are listed for grade 1. Cycles 3–7 overlap between kindergarten and grade 1. A vertical alignment and progression of skill development from year to year are not clear when cycles overlap grade levels.

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).

• Kindergarten lesson objectives begin with an emphasis on phonemic awareness, letter names, and letter sounds. Kindergarten students focus on phonological awareness skills as they complete lessons, such as “Blending Spoken Phonemes,” “Phonemic Blending Fluency,” “Segmenting and Blending,” “Blending Spoken Sounds into Words,” and “Blending Sounds with Letters.” Lessons transition to developing decoding skills as students use letter-sound relationships to decode word patterns such as VC, CVC, CCVC, and CVCC.
• The materials follow lessons that move from simple to more complex foundational literacy skills. The scope and sequence provides the progression of foundational literacy skills. Kindergarten lessons begin with an emphasis on phonemic awareness, letter names, and letter sounds (starting with short vowel sounds) and transition to decoding and encoding VC, CVC, CCVC, and CVCC words as new phoneme-grapheme correspondences are introduced.

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

The materials partially meet the criteria for this indicator. Materials provide some 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 do not contain a teacher edition; however, materials contain some 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.

• Lessons include detailed guidance for each component of the gradual release of responsibility model. For example, formatted (bolded, italicized) text is used to distinguish between scripting for teachers, teacher directions, and potential student responses.
• Lessons include specific and precise terms, phrasing, and statements that teachers can use during core instruction to model new phonics skills. For example, in “Skill: Phonics - Lesson 22 Decoding with Short u Teach: Blend sounds to read and spell words,” the teacher says, “When we read words, we blend letter sounds together.” The teacher displays the letter cards g-u-m, spaced apart. The teacher says, “Look at this word. The letters are g, u, m. Watch me touch each letter and slowly say its sound. The teacher touches the letter g and says /g/. Touch the letter u and say /uuu/, stretching the vowel sound. Touch the letter m and say /m/. Your turn. When I touch the letter, you say the sound. Now watch me push my letter cards closer together. I’ll blend the three sounds faster. The teacher pushes the cards together and points to each letter while blending faster to say gum. Your turn. When I touch the letter, you say the sound. Blend faster this time. What is the word? (gum).”
• Lessons assist teachers in using the gradual release of responsibility by including subtitles, and lessons include specific and precise terms, phrasing, and statements that teachers can use during core instruction to guide students’ practice and application of new phonics skills. For example, in “Skill: Phonics – Lesson 28,” students learn to recognize beginning consonant blends sl-, sn-, sp-, st. The lesson is labeled as follows:
  • Teach: The script prompts the teacher to say, “Sometimes the individual sounds of two consonant letters are very easy to say when they stand side by side. We say them by saying their sounds together quickly. Listen, /sss/ /nnn/ /ssnn/ as in the word snap. We can say two letter sounds together quickly, /sss/ and /nnn/ /sn/. The letter s is a friendly fellow who gets along great with the letters l, n, p, and t.” The teacher has the students listen and repeat words that contain consonant blends. The lesson provides the following words to use: spin, stop, and slip.
  • Guided Practice: The lesson script prompts the teacher to say, “Let's practice reading words that begin with /sl/ /sn/ /sp/ or /st/. I will show you a word. You read it aloud to yourself silently, then aloud to me. Ready? Silently read this word.” The teacher uses “Letter Cards” to make the word slip. The teacher allows think-time and affirms responses. The lesson provides a list of words to use to practice blending. These words include stop, spot, slam, spin, slop, slot, snip, and stand.
  • Monitor Progress through Independent Practice: As prompted by the lesson script, the teacher says, “Now let's see how well we can read words. I will show you a word. Read it silently to yourself. Then, when I ask, read it aloud to me.” The teacher provides think-time and calls on students to read the words. The lesson suggests using the following words, spin, spot, slip, slam, snap, stand, and snip.
  • Reteach: For students who require more instruction and practice, the teacher breaks down the reading task. As prompted by the script, the teacher says, “Say each sound as I point to each letter (/n/ /aaa/ /p/). Now again, faster. What is the word? Yes, nap. Now, let's add a letter s to the beginning.” The teacher puts the letter card s in front of nap to spell snap. “What sound does the letter s make? Yes, /sss/.” The teacher covers the s. They say, “What is the rest of the word? Yes, nap. Say /sss/, then nap. Say it faster, again. What is the word? Yes, snap. Great!” The teacher continues this practice, focusing on the more well-known simple words stop, spin, spot, slip, slam, and snap.

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

• Istation Reading does not contain a Teacher Edition. Teachers are given access to the programs’ website (www.istation.com) and have access to “Teacher Resources,” where all lessons are found in PDF format. The lessons contain some annotations and suggestions in the narrative of the lesson for teachers on how to present the content in the materials. There are no margins in the lessons with annotations or suggestions. All lessons are scripted but do not contain “Notes” anywhere along the margins that provide teachers with more details on how to support students during instruction.
• Materials include some teacher notes in the narrative of the lesson. For example, in Cycle 3, Lesson 10, Blend Sounds and Letters to Read Words, the lesson puts notes in parentheses for teachers. During the teaching portion, some of the notes are, “demonstrate, ensure one sound per letter, ensure that students do not keep the sounds separate but blend them together, and allow students to recite a short sentence using the word rod.”
• The teacher lessons contain some annotations and suggestions for teachers on how to present the content in the materials within the lesson plans. For example, in Lesson 1, Letter Knowledge, the following note is provided, “Pronunciation note: Clip consonant stop sounds. Example: Say /b/, not /buh/. Keeping the lips close together will help to create the clipped sound that is needed for the following consonants: b, c, d, g, j, k, p, q, t. Say the consonants that have continuous sounds (f, l, m, n, r, s, v, z) and vowel sounds (/a/ or /o/) longer (/aaa/ or /ooo/).” Note: This lesson assumes students can identify letter names, both capital and lowercase.
• The teacher lessons contain some annotations and suggestions for teachers on how to present the content in the materials within the lesson plans. In Lesson Cycle 4, Letter/Sound: Ff, Ee, Gg, Hh, there is the following, “Note: This lesson assumes that the letter names and words have already been taught in prior lessons. In this lesson, have students say the letter names and words several times, building automaticity through repeated readings. Note: It is more effective to spend 3–5 minutes every day on one or more of these pages than to try to attain mastery in one lengthy session.”

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

The materials partially meet criteria for this indicator. Materials include some guidance that supports teacher’s delivery of instruction.

Guidance for teachers includes some 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 some specific guidance for providing students with immediate, corrective feedback. Materials provide some detailed guidance for connecting previously taught phonics skills to new learning. Materials include some 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 do not include information about common phonics pattern misconceptions. In Phonics Lesson 11, students focus on decoding individual phonemes to read words. The teacher says, “Watch me touch each letter and slowly say its sound.” The notes instruct the teacher to touch the letter v and say /v/. Touch the letter a and say /aaa/, stretching the vowel sound. Touch the letter n and say /n/. Students practice decoding words after the teacher has modeled.” The lesson does not provide specific notes regarding misconceptions.
• Guidance for teachers includes some information about common phonics pattern misconceptions and guiding principles related to teaching specific phonics skills. In Cycle 1, Lesson 2, “Segment Sounds in Spoken Words,” there is a pronunciation note under the Teach header that says, “Pronunciation note: Clip the consonant sound. Example: Say /b/, not /buh/. Keeping the lips together will create the clipped consonant sound that is needed for all consonants. Say the vowel sound (/a/ or /o/) longer than the consonant sounds (/aaa/ or /ooo/).”
• The materials include inaccurate guiding principles. In High Frequency Words Cycle 5, words such as what, said, for, and her are taught to be learned by visual memory. For example, the students spell each high-frequency word by snapping each letter and counting the number of letters and syllables. Students are encouraged to visualize the word. The script states, “When we picture a word in our mind, it helps us spell that word. Remember, this game will help us create a visual picture of the word.” The lesson does not guide the students to decode the parts of the word that are decodable.
• The materials share limited guiding principles related to specific skills. When looking on the Istation teacher website under the tab toolbox and in the help session, there were no specific teacher materials in regard to guiding principles related to specific skills. In a phonological/phonemic awareness lesson, there is a “Teacher Notes” section that provides some guiding principles related to phoneme isolation, addition, and substitution. Materials state, “Students must be able to identify phonemes and their positions in words as well as blending phonemes prior to manipulating them.” Materials suggest that teachers use small sticky notes or Elkonin boxes with counters as manipulatives and for modeling and that “It is important to model phoneme order with the sticky notes in correct left-to-right directionality and to ensure students do the same.”

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

• The teacher resources do not include a handbook or overview that explains instructional routines such as a routine of dictation. The materials include a regular routine for using sound boxes to practice encoding and decoding words. The routines are found in the lesson plans. The teacher demonstrates the first few words, guides practice for the next few words, and then asks students to continue independently with the remaining words as the teacher provides immediate, corrective feedback. Such is the case in Cycle 6, Lesson 7. The script prompts the teacher to say, “Say the letter names to spell the word y-e-t, yet. Reading and spelling is simply blending letter sounds together. Watch me.” The teacher points to each box and says the letter sound to “sound out” each word. Then the teacher says the sounds together quickly: /y/, /e/, /t/, yet. The teacher follows this same routine in Guided Practice and Independent Practice.
• Guidance for teachers provides detailed, specific instructional strategies with consistent routines for teaching some of the phonics skills. Cycle 3, Lesson 15, “Phoneme Substitution, Beginning Sound,” provides a script the teacher follows to conduct a lesson on phoneme substitution. The teacher uses four brightly colored sticky notes and four square boxes. The teacher models and says, “Listen and repeat: mat. Sit on the mat. The word mat has three sounds. The first sound in mat is /mmm/ (place a sticky note inside the first box). The second sound in mat is /aaa/ (place a sticky note inside the second box). The third sound in mat is /t/ (place a sticky note inside the last box).” The teacher repeats this process with the words sat, mop, and top.
• The materials provide details for teaching strategies found directly in some lessons. For example, in Cycle 4, Lesson 16, “Beginning Blends cl-, fl-, gl-, pl,” the teacher script says, “Sometimes two consonants are very easy to say when they stand side by side. The letter l is a friendly fellow who gets along great with the letters c, f, g, p.” The teacher shows the two consonants cl, “Listen to how the c and the l sound together: /klll/. The two consonants are so easy to say together. Listen again: /klll/. Repeat each one after me: clam, I found a clam. Clip, Clip the paper with scissors. Now let's try friendly l with f. (Show the letters). Listen and repeat: /flll/. Repeat each one after me: flap, Flap your arms. Fleas, My dog has fleas. Let's put the letter l with the letter g. (Show the letters). Listen and repeat: /glll/. Repeat each one after me: glad, I am glad you came. Glass, I drink from a glass. Let’s put the letter l with the letter p. (Show the letters). Listen and repeat: /plll/. Repeat each one after me: plan, plead, plot, plant. The plant is green. Great, now we are ready to start reading words with cl, fl, gl, pl.”

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

• Materials include guidance for providing students with some immediate, corrective feedback. In Cycle 3, Lesson 10, “Blend Sounds and Letters to Read Words,” during the guided practice, it instructs the teacher to “provide corrective feedback: it is /d/, not /duh/.” Materials do not provide guidance on how teachers should provide students with immediate, corrective feedback.
• The materials do not consistently provide specific examples of how to provide immediate, corrective feedback. For example, in Cycle 5, Lesson 14, the lesson plan script explicitly states, “Affirm or provide corrective feedback” when students are asked to read the assigned word. “Affirm or provide corrective feedback” is not followed with information that prompts the teacher on how to provide the corrective feedback.
•  The materials provide limited specific examples of how to provide immediate, corrective feedback, as this is not found in each lesson. In the lesson plan, “Phonics Lesson 32 Beginning Blends with squ, sw, tw,” the guided practice section has the teacher show the word twin and allow time for students to think. The teacher says, “What is the word?” The teacher affirms or provides corrective feedback such as “No, this is not twine. This is twin.”

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

• The materials provide some guidance for connecting previously taught phonics skills to new ones. For example, in Cycle 4, “Lesson 23: Spelling with short /e/ and blends,” the lesson script begins with the teacher saying, “Who remembers what letters spell the blend /st/? Affirm or correct as needed. Yes, /s/ and /t/ spell the blend /st/. Today we are going to learn some new blends, and we will practice spelling them with our short vowels.”
• The materials include some references in lesson plans and scripts to previous learning. In “Phonics Lesson 26 Decoding with Long Vowel /oa/,” the materials start the lesson by saying, “We know that the letter o can stand for the sound /o/ as in Ron. We know that the letter a can stand for the sound /a/ as in ran. Now watch what happens when we put the letter o and the letter a together. The sound we say for the letter team oa is /O/.” Materials do not have detailed guidance for connecting previously taught phonics skills to new learning. Materials do not contain consistent cumulative review within the lessons. Materials do not provide sufficient opportunity to review previously taught phonics skills before learning new skills.
• Most lessons do not include detailed guidance for connecting previously taught phonics skills to new ones and specific references in lesson plans and scripts to previous learning. After reviewing multiple phonics lessons, there are no references to previous learning of like skills. For example, in “Skill: Phonics – Lesson 31 Beginning Blends with sm, bl, br, str, spl, spr,” the lesson doesn’t reference any previous learning about blends from “Skill: Phonics 30 also on beginning blends sm, bl, br.”
• In Cycle 2 Spelling Lesson Letter Focus: T, I, S, L extension, the magnetic letters c, a, t, s, m, and p are used for an activity. The teacher explains they are going to review some letters they have already learned by the teacher calling out the letter, and the students pull it from the other letters of their cut-out Letter Tiles printout. The teacher calls out the letters c, a, s, and m one at a time. The teacher explains they are going to play a game called “Break and Make,” where they break a word to make a new one. Students use the letter tiles to make new words with teacher guidance.

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 limited guidance on the recommended length for each lesson. The materials do not provide specific guidance on how much time to spend on each lesson component. The lesson is clearly divided into the following components: Teach, Guided Practice, Monitor Progress Through Independent Practice, and Reteach. Some lessons contain a visual for how long each section should take, which helps teachers know exactly how to pace a lesson. Under each section in these lessons, there is a circle with the amount of time each part of the overall lesson takes.
• Materials lack clear guidance on how to pace each lesson, including specific time suggestions for each component of the gradual release model. Materials include a Parent Guide: How to Use Ipractice Effectively that includes a pacing guide for how to use Ipractice at home with specific time suggestions.
• The materials include guidance on the recommended length for each lesson for the online learning, but lesson lengths were not noted for each PDF teacher lesson. Istation recommends students log in to the program to work through the interactive instruction on the student’s individualized learning paths for the following amounts of time:
  • 30 + minutes per week: Suggested for Level 3, 4, & 5 students (Tier 1 students)
  • 40+ minutes per week: Suggested for Level 1 & 2 students (Tier 2 & 3 students)

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

The materials partially meet the criteria for this indicator. Materials include some distributed review of phonics skills with cumulative practice opportunities with decodable text.

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

• Lessons use some consistent routines to introduce skills that include different modalities. There are no intentional review and practice activities throughout the curriculum. For example, in Cycle O, Lesson 4, for counting each sound, students use sticky notes to identify each different sound. This method is sometimes used in lessons throughout the year.
• Lessons use some consistent routines to introduce phonics skills that include different modalities. In Lesson 5 Letter/Sound Correspondence, Sound Picture cards, instructions say, “Print enough so that each student can have identical sets of predetermined pictures in a baggie and the teacher can have a set also Lowercase Letters (Large) cards—one set for the teacher that contains the letters that represent the initial sounds in each picture card used, and one set per student pair for use in the Independent Practice Letters and Sounds page – one per student; snack or sandwich size baggies; crayons.” Like in other lesson plans, this one also has the teacher print the lowercase and capital letter cards and Phonogram Cards for Cycles 1–3. Lessons do not use consistent routines to review phonics skills.
• Lessons use consistent routines to introduce phonics skills that include different modalities. One of the few examples, in Cycle 3, “Letter Lesson N1: Letter Name Recognition,” the teacher script prompts the teacher to say, “Get your pencils ready to air-write capital N! Who knows where we should start when we write capital N? Do we start at the top or the bottom? Everyone get your pencil ready at the top of your air-paper.” This instructional routine is consistent in Cycle 5, “Letter Lesson B1: Letter Name Recognition.” The lesson script prompts the teacher to say, “Get your pencils ready to air-write capital B! Who knows where we should start when we write capital B? Do we start at the top or the bottom? Everyone get your pencil ready at the top of your air-paper. Who knows where we should start when we write capital B? Do we start at the top or the bottom? Everyone get your pencil ready at the top of your air-paper.” Additionally, these same lessons show there is consistency in the use of the materials when teaching letter recognition. Mnemonic cards are used in all letter recognition lessons. As optional materials, the lessons are consistent in suggesting the use of chenille stems, yarn, and modeling clay. Materials do not include intentional cumulative review and practice activities throughout the span of the curriculum.

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

• Practice opportunities include only phonics skills that have been explicitly taught. For example, in Spelling Closed Syllables, the teacher makes reference to vowel sounds. As guided by the script, the teacher says, “We call the first syllable in each of these words a closed syllable. A closed syllable contains a short vowel and ends (or is closed) with a consonant. Say each word with me and pay close attention to the vowel sound in the first syllable.” In this lesson, students build on the previously learned skill of identifying syllables to understand a closed syllable.
• In Spelling Closed Syllables, students apply the skill previously learned in Cycle 2, Lesson 2, during guided and independent practice. In this lesson, the teacher writes two words on the board as keywords: kitten and napkin. The students take turns reading the word and placing it in the correct column based on the first syllable.
• Students apply the focus skill for the lesson during guided and independent practice. For example, in Cycle 4, Consonant Blends, in the teach section, the teacher explains what a consonant blend is, and the sounds the consonant blends cl, fl, gl, pl make along with the letter that makes up the sounds, then tells the students they are ready to read words with the beginning consonant blends cl, fl, gl, pl. In the guided practice section, the teacher shows the words clep, clin, flem, flad, glit, gles, plam, split one at a time, and the students practice reading the words blending the sounds together and talking about what the word means. In the independent practice, the teacher shows the words clad, flat, plan, flag, flop, glop, clap one at a time, and students practice reading the words quicker on their own.

Decodable texts incorporate cumulative practice of taught phonics skills.

• The lesson plans do not refer to resources such as decodable passages, poems, or books. Lessons such as Skill: Phonics - Lesson 24 Decoding with Soft g include a Decoding Practice page which consists of reading words in isolation that follow the phonics skill covered in the lesson. The materials provide “Istation Books and Passages” resource document in which decodable texts are listed. The title of the decodable texts is followed by the type of text, Lexile measure, and phonics/reading skill. Using this document, the phonics skill presented in the lesson is matched with the corresponding decodable text. This document also provides a table with the Lexile range and the approximate grade level.
• Decodable texts incorporate cumulative practice of taught phonics skills. The Cycle 2 decodable reader See Sam Sit practices short vowels a and i. The Cycle 3 decodable reader In the Rain practices short o and long vowels ai and oa. The Cycle 4 decodable reader My Dog Has Fleas practices short e and long vowel ee and ea. Decodable words are included in the readers from previous lessons in addition to words covering the phonics skill noted for each decodable reader. The lessons do not reference which decodable reader to utilize. There is an “Istation Books and Passages” resource document in which decodable texts are listed. The title of the decodable texts is followed by the type of text, Lexile measure, and phonics/reading skill. Using this document, the phonics skill presented in the lesson is matched with the corresponding decodable text. This document also provides a table with the Lexile range and the approximate grade level.

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

The materials partially meet the criteria for this indicator. Materials provide some systematic and direct (explicit) instruction, practice, and review related to alphabet knowledge.

Materials provide some sequence for introducing letter names and their corresponding sounds. Materials provide scripted direct (explicit) instruction for teaching the identification of all 26 letters (upper and lowercase) and their corresponding sounds. Materials provide some direct instruction on forming the 26 letters (upper and lowercase). Materials incorporate some activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce (through cumulative review) alphabet knowledge in isolation and in context of meaningful print.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Materials provide a research-based, systematic sequence for introducing letter names and their corresponding sounds.

• The Scope and Sequence for Reading Kindergarten and the Istation User Guide provide a strategic sequence for introducing all 26 letter names and their corresponding sounds in an order that starts with high utility letters. In Cycle 1, the letter lessons include m, a, p, and c. Cycle 2 includes t, i, s, l. Cycle 3 includes r, o, n, and d. Cycle 4 includes f, e, h, and g. Cycle 5 includes b, u, j, and w. Cycle 6 includes k, z, v, and y, and Cycle 7 includes q and x. Students learn the letters m, a, p, and c in Cycle 1, so that they can quickly begin decoding words like map and cap. For each letter, there is one lesson that focuses on letter name recognition, then another lesson that focuses on the sound in the initial part of a word, a third lesson that focuses on the sound/symbol relationship, and a final lesson that focuses on the final sound of a word.
• Letters that are visually similar are not introduced in proximity. The materials introduce letter d in Cycle 3 and letter b in Cycle 5 of the scope and sequence. Additionally, the letter m is introduced in Cycle 1, and the letter n is introduced in Cycle 3.
• Materials do not provide reference research-based work for the development of alphabetic knowledge within the curriculum.
• Materials do not state a pace of instruction or how many letters to introduce in a week. Materials state that Cycles 0–7 are taught in kindergarten. During Cycles 1–6, there are four letters taught in each cycle and two letters taught in Cycle 7. Even though there are four letters taught in each cycle, there are only eight cycles for Kindergarten (0–7) over the course of the entire year.

Materials provide scripted direct (explicit) instruction for teaching the identification of all 26 letters (upper and lowercase) and their corresponding sounds.

• In the teacher resources, lessons support teachers in providing direct (explicit) instruction in recognizing, identifying, and producing all 26 letter names (uppercase and lowercase) and their associated sounds accurately. For example, in Cycle 1, “Letter Lesson M1: Letter Name Recognition,” the lesson begins with the objective, “Students will be able to identify, name, and write the capital and lowercase letter m.” It also provides clear, precise instructions and directions for introducing the letter m and its sound. For example, “Display the mnemonic card mountain for Mm for reference throughout the lesson cycle. Take a look at this letter. It is the letter M. Say it with me this time: M. Point to the capital letter M and say: This is the capital letter M. Capital letters are tall letters. This one has straight lines and points on the top like a mountain. To help me remember, I think of a mountain when I think of the capital M.” The lesson follows the gradual release of the responsibility model (I do, we do, you do). For example, the teacher says, “To write capital M, I start at the top on the line. I pull my pencil straight down and stop at the baseline.” Then, the We do section consists of “This time, you will practice writing a capital M with me, but we will write it in the air. Remember to look at the M I wrote on the board if you need help. Turn your back to the students to air-write the letter, or write it backward if you face the students.”
• Materials provide scripted direct (explicit) instruction for teaching the identification of all 26 letters (upper and lowercase) and their corresponding sounds. In Cycle 1, “Letter Lesson: A3 Sound-Symbol Correspondence,” the objective is, “Students will recognize and identify the sound-symbol relationship for the letter A.” The teacher begins the lesson by saying, “Who can tell me the name of this letter? That’s right! This is the letter A. Who can point to the capital A? (Allow one student to point out the capital A from the mnemonic card.) And who would like to point to the lowercase a? (Allow a different student to point out the lowercase a on the card.) The letter A says /ă/ /ă/ just like you hear at the beginning of /ă/ /ă/ ant and /ă/ /ă/ apple. (Draw out initial sound in example words) Say the sound for letter A with me: /ă/ /ă/ /ă/. Watch my mouth. My lips are open and round when I say /ă/ /ă/ /ă/. Make sure your mouth is doing the same thing. I have a little song to sing so we can remember what sound the letter A makes. Listen to me sing it the first time, and then you can join in. To the tune of ‘Farmer in the Dell,’ sing: The letter A says /ă/, the letter A says /ă/. /ă/ /ă/ /ă/ /ă/; the letter A says /ă/.”
• Materials provide clear, precise instructions for introducing each letter sound. For example, in Cycle 3, “Letter Lesson: R1,” the teacher is instructed to display the mnemonic card for Rr. The teacher refers to the mnemonic illustration as the capital and lowercase letters are introduced. The lesson script instructs the teacher to say, “This is the capital letter R. Capital letters are tall letters. This one has straight and curved lines. To help me remember, I think of rope when I think of the capital R.” The mnemonic card and alphabet chart represent the capital R with a rope.

Materials provide direct (explicit) instruction on forming the 26 letters (upper and lowercase).

• Materials provide direct (explicit) instruction on forming the 26 letters (upper and lowercase). In Cycle 1, “Letter Lessons: M, A, P, C Letter Name Recognition,” the teacher begins the lesson by saying, “Take a look at this letter. It is the letter M. Say it with me this time: M. (Point to the capital letter M and say) This is the capital letter M. Capital letters are tall letters. This one has straight lines and points on the top like a mountain. To help me remember, I think of a mountain when I think of the capital M. (Point to the lowercase letter m and say) This is the lowercase letter m. This lowercase letter is a short letter. The lowercase m looks a little different from the capital M, but they are the same letter. The lowercase m is shorter; the lowercase m has curved bumps instead of points; the capital M has only straight lines, while the lowercase m has a mix of straight and curved lines.) The curved bumps on the lowercase m resemble a magnet. To help me remember what a lowercase m looks like, I think of a magnet like this one.” Next, the teacher demonstrates how to form each letter. There is no evidence that the lessons revisit previously introduced letters frequently, and a keyword is not provided when the letters are introduced.
• Materials provide clear, precise instructions and directions for introducing the formation of each letter. In Cycle 5, “Letter Lesson: J1,” the teacher script provides the teacher with modeling instructions for students to form the letter J. The script instructs the teacher to say, “To write capital J, I start at the top on the line. I pull my pencil down and curve around on the baseline. Then cross the top.” After modeling how to write the letter, the students write the letter in the air, with the teacher providing prompts throughout. The process is repeated for writing the lowercase j. Learning the formations of letters is not learned simultaneously with the sound of the letter.
• For each letter, there are multiple lessons. Each letter has three initial lessons. In Lesson 1 of each letter, the teacher and students identify, name, and write the uppercase and lowercase letters. In Lesson 2 of each letter, the teacher and students recognize the sound in the initial position. In Lesson 3 of each letter, the teacher and students recognize and identify the sound-symbol relationship. There are Cycle based Priority Reports (report of intervention needs per student from monthly Istation's Indicators of Progress [ISIP] assessment ) lessons that have additional lessons that review the letters and sounds for that Cycle working on all letters/sounds at once learned within the Cycle. For example, Cycle 5 has three sets of lessons for each letter Bb, Uu, Jj, and Ww, and then the additional Cycle-based Priority Report lessons have additional lessons that review the letter and sound for the four letters together.

Materials incorporate a variety of activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce (through cumulative review) alphabet knowledge in isolation and in context of meaningful print.

• Materials incorporate a variety of activities and resources for students to develop and practice alphabet knowledge in isolation. For example, in Cycle 1, “Letter Lesson: A3 Sound-Symbol Correspondence,” there are picture cards for students to identify words to put in their Aa book. The teacher displays a pair of letter/picture cards (moon, apple), and the teacher points to each picture and says its name/picture. The teacher asks which word starts with the letter A and the sound /ă/. Then the teacher repeats the process with the next pair of picture cards (ant/fox, alligator/ fox, cart/ambulance, animals/rat). The teacher and students read the book in unison. The teacher asks a student volunteer to use a dot marker to highlight the a in each word. Another activity is an independent practice sheet where students color the Aa pictures, cut out the Aa pictures, and paste them into their Aa Book. An additional activity is the Letter Aa Maze sheet for students to use their dot marker to put a dot on all of the As to get through the maze. Materials do not incorporate a variety of activities to reinforce (through cumulative review), and there are no activities in the context of meaningful print.
• Materials include opportunities to practice identifying, naming, forming, and saying letters in isolation, but not through review or in the context of meaningful print. In Cycle 2, “Letter Lessons: T, I, S, L Letter Name Recognition,” students practice writing and reading the letter t, after they have had many experiences with the manipulatives. Materials state to provide students with one or more of the following suggested independent practice activities: “Sand Writing: Using a stove-burner cover or a paper plate with a raised edge and craft sand, have students use their pointer finger to write the target letters in the sand. Instruct students to verbalize the steps to write the letter as they are writing it. Remind students to point to the letter and read it after they write it. The sand can be gently shifted to ‘erase’ the letter and start over. Stick and Stem Writing: Use a glue stick on both sizes of craft sticks. Dip the sticky side of each stick into the craft sand and let dry. This will create a more tactile experience. Students will use the long craft sticks to form the capital t and one small and one long craft stick to form the lowercase t. Students will use their pointer fingers to lightly trace the target letters while iterating the steps. Noodle Writing: Provide students with uncooked straight noodles that have been broken to the appropriate lengths. Students will use school glue to glue the straight noodles onto paper to make a capital T. Students will glue one long and one shorter straight noodle onto the paper to make a lowercase t. Once the letters are dry, students can trace the letters with their fingers.”
• Materials include opportunities to practice identifying and naming the sounds of letters in isolation but not in the context of meaningful print. For example, in “Letter Lesson Cycle 4 H3 Sound-Symbol Correspondence,” students practice identifying and naming the letter h, where teachers sing, “This is the sound that the H makes, /h/, /h/, /h/, /h/, /h/; /h/, /h/, /h/, /h/, /h/. This is the sound that the H makes, just like in horseshoe, hose, and hair. Display the H picture cards for the students to see. Now it’s your turn to sing the song. This time I want you to pick three different picture cards to put into the song.” Teachers model for the students how to replace the three H words in the song, “Can anyone think of any other words that begin with /h/? Pause for student responses. Confirm correct responses and address incorrect ones. Great job thinking of words that start with /h/. How would we write one of those words that starts with the /h/ sound? What letter would it start with? (H) Distribute the letter puzzles to students. Begin with the capital H and then work on the lowercase h. We will use these puzzles to help us put the letter H together correctly and then write it correctly. Take out your puzzle pieces and tell me what you see. Wait for student responses and affirm correct responses. They should tell you that there are three straight lines, two long and one short.”

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

The 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 Kindergarten Scope and Sequence, Content at a Glance slide on the Istation Program Guide slide deck, along with the Cycles/Units of Instruction Pages, show that letters are taught in an order that starts with the high-utility letters. Cycle 1 has m, a, p, and c; Cycle 2 has t, i, s, and l; Cycle 3 has r, o, n, and d; Cycle 4 covers f, e, h, and g; Cycle 5 covers b, u, j, and w; Cycle 6 has k, z, v, and y; and Cycle 7 has q and x. Blends are in Cycles 3–5. Short vowels are in Cycles 3–5, along with long vowels through CVCe and vowel teams.
• The materials systematically introduce letter-sound relationships in an order that quickly allows for application to basic decoding and encoding. The program begins by teaching the letters m, a, p, c, and their sounds in Cycle 1. In Cycle 1, Lesson 13, the teacher explicitly teaches students how to blend these letters to decode words. The lesson begins with the teacher giving each student a set of letter cards for the letters m, a, p, and c. The teacher begins by saying, “Place your letter cards in this order: c, a, p. Space them apart. Say the word cap. We blend the sounds of letters to read words. We can read the word cap.” Then the teacher models a sound-by-sound blending routine to make the words Cam, Pam, Mac, cap, map, and am with letter cards.

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

• The materials contain explicit scripted instructions. In Skill: Phonics – Lesson 21, “Decoding with Short o,” the lesson begins with the teacher explicitly stating, “When we read words, we blend letter sounds together. Let's learn to blend letter sounds to say words.” The students use letter cards from Cycles 1–3 and place them in this order: r, o, d, and space them apart. The teacher says, “This word is rod. I fish with a rod. Say the word with me, rod. The beginning sound in rod is /r/. Touch the letter r and say /r/. (not /er/ or /ruh/). The vowel sound in rod is /o/. Touch the letter o and say /o/. The ending sound in rod is /d/ (not /duh/). Touch the letter d and say /d/. (not /duh/).” The teacher models how to blend the sounds together by saying each sound as each card is tapped. The teacher puts the cards together to demonstrate the blending of sounds.
• In Cycle 2, “Spelling Lesson 18, Letter Focus: T, I, S, L, Teach,” the teacher explains they will spell some words using the letters that they know. The teacher gives each student letter tiles and a student page with Elkonin boxes. The teacher explains they will spell the word it by stretching the sounds in the word /iii/ /ttt/, counting the sounds they hear. Students decide which of the letter tiles to use to spell it. The teacher spells the word and then reads the word with the students. The same process is repeated with the word sit by the teacher, having the students stretch the word and determine which letter they need to add to it to make the word sit. The teacher guides the students to stretch the word lit and determine which letter to change from sit to make lit.
• In Cycle 4, “Lesson 23 Spelling with Short /e/ and Blends,” the teacher explains spelling words with blends and the short e sound, saying, “Today we are going to learn some new blends, and we will practice spelling them with our short vowels. In fact, we have a new vowel sound, the short /e/. Say the short /e/ sound with me. /eee/. When we want to spell the short /e/ sound, we write the letter e. What word do you know that has the short /e/ sound in it? Let’s practice spelling new words. Our first new blend is /fr/. Say it with me, /fff/ /rrr/ Which two letters partner up to make the blend fr? Yes, f and r spell the blend /fr/; /fr/ begins the word Fred.” The teacher writes the letters Fr and continues, “Say Fred slowly. The next sound is /e/. That is the short /e/ sound. Write the letter e. Say the last sound, /d/. Write the letter d. F-r-e-d spells Fred. Continue the above step with the following blends: /sl/-sled, /fl/-fled, /bl/-bled, /st/-step, /pr/prep.”

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.

• In Skill: Phonics – Lesson 19, “Blending with short i and a,” the students read CVC words with short i and review short a. The teacher displays s-i-t in the pocket chart. The teacher says, “When I tap beside the letter, we will say the sound together. Wait until I tap.” The teacher points to each letter and leads the students to say the sounds. The script instructs the teacher to say, “Now, say the sounds faster as I point and tap faster, blending them. What is the whole word? Yes, the word is sit. We can sit on a chair. Sit.” During “Guided Practice,” students use letter cards from Cycles 1 and 2 to practice the same routine. Students continue building and blending the words sit, mat, cat, sat, tip, and lit.
• Materials provide a variety of activities and resources to decode words that include taught sound-spelling patterns in isolation (e.g., word lists). Materials include “Skill Word Lists” for each cycle. Materials include “Suggested Uses for Skill Word Lists” in the Teacher Resources. The suggested uses are Highlighting, Category Replication, Spelling Lists, Webbing, and Reverse Webbing. The materials provide guidance for Highlighting, “The teacher provides copies of the decodable words category from the Skill Words list for each student. Students search through the list for particular spelling patterns, blends, word endings, etc. When they find the particular item, they use a highlighter to highlight it.” The Cycle 3 word list contains short /o/ and consonant blends (sl, sn, sp, st, -nd, -nt).
• Materials include activities for students to develop, practice, and reinforce their understanding of applying letter-sound correspondence to decode simple words in decodable connected texts. Materials provide students with practice in applying letter sound-correspondence to decode connected texts through the decodable fiction books. For example, in See Sam Sit, students practice reading words with short vowel sounds /a/ and /i/.

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.

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

Materials provide a systematic sequence for introducing oral syllable awareness activities that begins with simple skills (detecting, blending, and segmenting syllables) and gradually transitions to more complex skills such as adding, deleting, and substituting syllables. Materials include scripted direct (explicit) instruction for teaching oral syllable awareness skills. Materials include some 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 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 provide lessons that start with simple syllable awareness activities and gradually transition to more complex activities. For example, Syllable 1, found in the teacher resources, begins with syllabication of up to two syllables and then moves on to three syllables.
• Materials provide a systematic sequence for introducing oral syllable awareness activities that begins with simple skills (detecting, blending, and segmenting syllables) and gradually transitions to more complex skills such as adding, deleting, and substituting syllables. In Cycle 0, Lessons 2 and 3, students count syllables in spoken words. In Cycle 2, Lesson 2, students segment spoken words with up to three syllables. Materials include an ISIP ER Phonological Awareness: Blending Syllables Tier 2 lesson where students practice blending syllables into words with pictorial support. Materials include a Phonological/Phonemic Awareness: Manipulating Syllables lesson where students practice manipulating syllables in multisyllabic words by adding, deleting, and substituting syllables.
• The materials provide a scope and sequence document that lays out the sequence for introducing syllable awareness activities that follow the cycle: listen, blend, count, and manipulate syllables in a word. Materials provide lessons that start with simple syllable awareness activities and gradually transition to more complex activities. For example, the teacher uses the “Clapping Clara: Syllable Game” to correctly segment a spoken word into syllables. Using the picture cards provided in the lesson, students take turns drawing a card. Then, the student claps or uses another method of segmenting words by their syllables, such as pushing counters into sound boxes. The game increases in complexity by first segmenting one-syllable words, then two-syllable words, and finally, three-syllable words. In later lessons, students manipulate syllables in multisyllabic words by adding, deleting, and substituting syllables. For example, the materials provide a lesson titled “Phonemic Awareness Manipulating Syllables in Multisyllable Words.” This lesson states that students must identify and blend syllables prior to manipulating them. There are three separate skills presented in this lesson, including syllable addition, deletion, and substitution.
• Materials provide lessons that start with simple syllable awareness activities and gradually transition to more complex activities. For example, in Pre Reading/Cycle 0, Lessons 2 and 3 are on counting syllables, and Lesson 9 is segmenting syllables. There are additional Phonemic Awareness lessons that focus on manipulating syllables in multisyllabic words through syllable addition, deletion, and substitution. Note that there is no document to show when to use lessons outside of the Cycle lessons (for example, Skill or Phonemic Awareness Lessons).

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

• The materials identify the skills to be learned and communicate clear objectives. For example, in Cycle 0, Lesson 2, the objective states, “Students will be able to recognize and identify up to three syllables in words.” The skills for this lesson are listed as “phonological awareness, oral language, listening, syllabication.”
• Materials include scripted direct (explicit) instruction for teaching oral syllable awareness skills. In Cycle 0, Lesson 3, Counting Syllables, students segment spoken words into syllables by clapping. The teacher begins the lesson by saying, “Today we will listen for the beats in a word, which are called syllables.” The teacher models clapping syllables using the words cat, flower, and computer. In the guided practice, the teacher displays two picture cards at a time in a pocket chart and leads students in counting syllables by clapping, touching their chin, stomping, or even shaking a maraca on the beats. The teacher says, “Watch and listen while I clap the word. I hear parts in this word, so I clapped times. It has syllables. Do it with me.” The lesson makes a note for the teacher to “gradually turn the responsibility over to the students.” In the independent practice, students are placed in pairs and given a set of one- and two-syllable picture cards. Some examples of picture cards include dog, hand, flower, apple, fish, finger, pear, and pencil. Students sort the picture cards based on the number of syllables.
• Materials provide clear, precise directions and instructions using academic language. In the lesson “Manipulating Syllables in Multisyllable Words,” the teacher models how adding a word to make a compound word also adds another syllable using sticky notes. The teacher says, “We can add syllables to words to make new words. I’ll show you what I mean. Listen carefully. Dog. I’ll add house after dog. Dog | house.” The lesson continues with the teacher guiding the students to add syllables to make new words (i.e., lipstick, backpack, peanut, grandma, etc.).

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, practice, and reinforce skills. Materials include picture cards, worksheets, and classroom objects for lessons and games. In Cycle 0, Lesson 3, “Counting Syllables,” students work in pairs to sort picture cards based on the number of syllables. In “Foundations Lesson 4 - Syllabication,” students work in pairs to clap syllables of classroom objects found in the room. In “Syllables 3: Segmenting Spoken Words with More Than Three Syllables,” students say each picture’s name and clap the syllables for that word. Students circle the correct number of syllables in that word on their worksheets. These activities do not include cumulative reviews.
• “Clapping Clara - Segmenting Words Into Syllables” guides students in segmenting one-, two-, and three-syllable words by clapping and then pushing counters into boxes. The teacher instructs the students to syllabicate the word when saying it and push one counter into a box when each syllable is spoken. Included in the lesson are a variety of picture cards and a Clapping Clara blackline. Students say the picture on the card and count the syllables in the word. Using the Clapping Clara blackline, students identify the number of syllables found in each word. Some of the words that the lesson provides include butter, gorilla, rabbit, and ladybug. This activity does not include cumulative reviews.
• Materials suggest using a variety of multimodal resources for strategically supporting syllabication development in single and multi-syllabic words. For example, in Cycle 2, Lesson 2, the teacher provides the students with picture cards. The student sorts the picture based on the number of syllables. The materials provide the words pumpkin, finger, elephant, computer, monkey, hamburger, gorilla, apple, octopus, presents, baby, and ponytail. For example, in “Syllables Lesson 1: Segmenting Spoken Words With up to Two Syllables,” students are to clap for each beat or syllable when counting syllables. The lesson also offers other ways for students to practice counting syllables, such as touching their chin, stomping, or even shaking a maraca on the beats, modeling the additional ways of counting syllables. This activity does not include cumulative reviews.
• The materials suggest using a variety of multimodal resources for strategically supporting syllabication development in single and multi-syllabic words. For example, in the lesson “Syllables 3: Segmenting Spoken Words With More Than Three Syllables,” the teacher displays the picture of the helicopter and asks students to name the picture. “That’s right; this is a helicopter. Watch and listen while I clap the beats in helicopter. Clap on each syllable for helicopter as you say the word. He | li | cop | ter.” In the lesson “Phonemic Awareness Manipulating Syllables in Multisyllable Words,” the teacher and students use sticky notes to represent a syllable. Clapping, touching the chin, stomping, or even shaking a maraca are used for counting syllables in a word.

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 partially meet the criteria for this indicator. Materials provide some 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 transitions 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 some activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce skills (through cumulative review). Materials do not incorporate 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.

• Materials provide a systematic sequence for introducing phonemic awareness activities. The Grade K Content At a Glance document states that segmentation and blending of phonemes are taught before isolation of initial phonemes. Cycles 0–2 cover identifying the initial sound in spoken words and blend word parts. Cycles 0–1 cover identifying the final sound in spoken words and blending word parts. Cycles 1–7 cover identifying and isolating initial and final sounds in spoken words in each letter lesson. Cycles 0–5 cover blending individual phonemes to produce spoken words. Cycles 0 and 4–5 cover segmenting one-syllable words into individual phonemes. Cycles 2–5 cover identifying, segmenting, and blending onset and rime.
• 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 start with teaching identifying phonemes in Cycle 0. In Cycle 0, “Lesson 14: Middle Sounds,” students practice identifying the medial phoneme in three phoneme words. The Cycle 0–3 Segmenting and Blending lesson set provides instructions on segmenting three-phoneme words and blending the phonemes together to form a word. In “Skill: Phonological Awareness- Lesson 42,” students practice adding an initial phoneme to create new words. In Cycle 3, “Lesson 15: Phoneme Substitution, Beginning Sound,” students practice phoneme substitution at the beginning of spoken words. In the Phonological/Phonemic Awareness: Manipulating Phonemes Lesson,” students practice manipulating initial and final phonemes in base words.
• Materials teach all skills in the kindergarten TEKS. Materials provide lessons for recognizing spoken alliteration or groups of words that begin with the same spoken onset or initial sound, blending spoken onsets and rimes to form simple words, blending spoken phonemes to form one-syllable words, and segmenting spoken one-syllable words into individual phonemes.

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

• Materials include scripted direct (explicit) instruction for teaching phonemic awareness. Materials include lessons teaching alliteration in “Foundations Lesson 5 - Alliteration and Magical Miss Mousley Identify Word Pairs with Same Initial Phonemes. “The teacher begins the lesson by saying, “Today we will listen to the beginning sound in a name.” During the guided practice, the teacher and students use alliteration pictures to make silly sentences. During independent practice, students work in pairs to create alliterative sentences using two, three, or four pictures. The objective of the lesson “Mousley Identify Word Pairs with Same Initial Phonemes” is for students to isolate the initial sound in orally presented words and identify pairs of words with the same initial phoneme. The lesson begins by saying, “Remember, words are made of letters that make sounds. And when we hear the sounds in words, it will help us become good readers later on. Today we are only listening for the first phoneme, or sound, in words, just like the Magical Miss Mousely!” The teacher models how to isolate the initial phoneme in the word fish. During the guided and independent practice, the teacher guides students through sliding each of the picture cards sail, foot, hat, frog, five, and doll. Materials note, “Gradually withdraw support until students can isolate and match the initial phonemes independently.”
• Materials provide clear, precise instructions and directions for reinforcing the correct articulation of phonemes. For example, in the “Magical Miss Mousley: First Phoneme Sort,” the teacher shows students how knowing how the mouth makes a sound can help with identifying the sound. The teacher says, “When we listen for the first sound in a word, sometimes it helps to think about how our mouths make that sound. Each sound is made a little differently. I’ll show you what I mean. To make the /m/ sound, watch what my lips do: /mmm/.” The teacher points to his/her lips as the initial sound is made.
• The lessons employ a gradual release of responsibility model, and the lesson plan includes specific and precise terms, phrasing, and statements for teachers to use during instruction. In Cycle 5, Lesson 2, students identify the initial sounds /b/, /j/, and /w/. For example, the teacher says, “Words are made of separate sounds. Today we will listen for beginning sounds. The word bat begins with the /b/ sound. Listen for /b/ now: /b/, /b/, bat. The first sound in bat is /b/.” The lesson provides correct letter sounds for teachers to reference in the script and reminds teachers to accurately produce letter sounds by not including the schwa sound. The lesson note states, “Pronounce it /b/, not /buh/).” The teacher continues by saying, “Turn to your neighbor and take turns saying /b/, /b/, bat.” The teacher repeats this same routine using words: /b/: bag, bat, bin, bait, boss, big. The teacher continues the lesson by listening for beginning sounds using the following words: jam, Jeff, jet, jeep, job, jog, Jill, and wig, win, we, well, wake, wink. During Guided Practice, the teacher says, “Now let's see if you can tell me how each word begins. I will help if you need it. Listen: The word is /b/, boat. Say the beginning sound you hear in boat. (/b/). The first sound in boat is /b/. Let's do some more words.” The teacher continues with words such as bug, best, beat, bell, bit, and bead. The teacher says, “Help me think of words that begin with the sounds /b/ /j/ /w/.” In Independent Practice, prompted by the script, the teacher says, “Now, let's see how well we know these beginning sounds. I will say a word; then I will say the beginning sound of that word. If I am right, hold your hand up high. If I am wrong, keep your hands folded in front of you. Let's do the first word together to be sure we all know how to play this game. Ready? Listen: bug begins with /b/, bug begins with /b/. Put your hand up if bug begins with /b/.” The teacher continues with these words in random order, west, belt, joy, war, Jenny, bank, wig, bent, and jar.

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 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 “Skill: Phonics Lesson 11 Blend Sounds to Read and Spell Words,” students blend sounds to read short-vowel words. The teacher begins the lesson by introducing the objective and saying, “When we read words, we blend letter sounds together. Look at this word. The letters are v, a, n. Watch me touch each letter and slowly say its sound. Now, watch me push my letter cards closer together. I will blend the three sounds faster.” Before entering the guided practice, the teacher says, “You are reading by blending letter sounds together to say the word! You are learning to spell the words by saying the sounds and naming each letter. Great job!” During the guided practice, the teacher distributes letter cards to the students to create CVC words. The teacher has the students place letter cards in certain orders and instructs the students to blend the phonemes to decode the word. After the students decode a word, the teacher says, “What is the word? Yes, wig. Spell the word w-i-g. Great! You are blending sounds to read and spell words.” During the independent practice, the teacher shows a word and asks the students to blend the sounds together to read the word aloud.
• 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 Cycle 1, Lesson 2, students segment sounds in a spoken word. Students begin by orally segmenting words with the teacher. During independent practice, the students are given a picture with three empty boxes, and students then write the corresponding letters in the boxes once they have segmented the words.

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

• Materials include a game titled “Tab’s Slide Game,” but the purpose of the game is not cumulative review. In the game, students blend phonemes together quickly to say a word by using their fingers or a counter. Materials state that this allows students to engage tactilely, aurally, visually, and orally while blending phonemes.
• In the “Phonological/Phonemic Awareness Manipulating Medial Phonemes Lesson,” students manipulate sounds in base words by adding, deleting, and substituting initial and final phonemes. The lessons instruct the teacher to “Use sticky notes or Elkonin boxes to model phonemic order while saying each phoneme distinctly. Repeat the word fluently as you run your finger under the sticky notes or Elkonin boxes.” During the independent practice, students use sticky notes to practice adding, deleting, and substituting phonemes.
• In Cycle 2, Lesson 4, “Phonemic Awareness Middle Sound,” students listen for middle sounds in words. Students use the Large Sound Pictures page to identify initial, medial, and final sounds. The Sound Pictures page consists of illustrations with sound boxes below each one. As the students segment each sound, they tap inside each box found under the illustration. This lesson also uses the “Learning Game: Decorator.” In this game, the teacher says a word, and students identify the middle sound. If the student answers correctly, the picture card for the word is placed on a pocket chart.
• The materials suggest or provide resources, including manipulatives, to practice and reinforce students’ phonemic awareness skills but not for cumulative review. In Cycle 2, “Letter Lesson: Recognize the Sound /s/ in the Initial Position,” the materials provide picture cards that can be classified. The lesson states to make a T-chart with headings. The students sort pictures that have the beginning /s/ sound and those that do not.

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 do not meet the criteria for this indicator. Materials do not 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 do not provide a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level sound-spelling patterns, as outlined in the TEKS. Materials do not provide scripted direct (explicit) instruction for grade-level sound-spelling patterns. The materials do not incorporate a variety of activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce skills (through cumulative review). Materials provide some activities and resources to decode and encode words that include some 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 scope and sequence of skills for Istation Reading; however, the sequence does not include grade-level sound-spelling patterns. The Istation scope and sequence provides a progression chart that maps out the phonics objectives across the school year. Lessons progress from least complex to more complex. For example, in kindergarten, students learn letter names and sounds before blending and decoding CVC words. Digraphs are not shown to be taught in the kindergarten scope and sequence. Digraphs are taught starting in Cycle 8 in first grade. 
• In the scope and sequence for Istation Reading, located on the Istation website once logged in, there is an area devoted to phonics with the chart outlining phonics objectives for each of the cycles. However, the cycles do not include instructions for digraphs. The kindergarten scope and sequence chart uses the Pre Reading Cycle and Cycles 1–7. The Istation scope and sequence provides a progression chart that maps out the phonics objectives across the school year. Lessons progress from least complex to more complex. For example, in kindergarten, students learn letter names and sounds before blending and decoding CVC words.

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

• The materials clearly communicate the objectives for the lesson; however, the materials do not have objectives for explicitly teaching digraphs. For example, the Lesson 19 script directs the teacher to say, “Today we will learn about another kind of Bossy R besides the -ar and the -are Bossy R.”
• The materials provide scripted, direct instruction; however, the materials do not have explicit instruction grade-level sound-spelling patterns. Cycle 6 “Spelling Lesson Letter Focus: Z, K, Y, V” has the gradual release model:
  • Teach/Model —“Today we are going to learn how to spell some words with these letters that we know. Give each student letter tiles and a student page with Elkonin boxes (Student Page x). First, we will begin by spelling the word kid. Let’s stretch out the sounds and count the sounds that are in the word kid. Listen as I stretch the sounds first: /k/ /ĭĭĭ/ /d/. Which sound did you hear first? (/k/) That’s right. The /k/ sound came first. Which sound did you hear in the middle? (/ĭ/) That’s right, the /ĭ/ sound. Which sound did you hear at the end? (/d/) That’s right. The /d/ sound came at the end of the word. Look at your page with your sound boxes on it. Which set of boxes do you think we will use for the word kid? Observe while students find the set of boxes that has three boxes for the word. That’s right! I hear three sounds, and there are three letters in the word. Listen as I say the sounds in the word again: /k/ /ĭĭĭ/ /d/. Which letters do you think I will use to spell the word kid? Find the letter K, letter I, and letter D in your letter tiles. Display your letter tiles to help students who may be having trouble. Now let’s stretch the word kid again together this time: /k/ /ĭĭĭ/ /d/. Which sound comes first in the word kid? (/k/) Yes! /k/ comes first in the word kid. Which of your letter tiles has the /k/ sound? (K) Yes, that’s right! The letter K makes the /k/ sound. Which box will we place the letter K in to spell the word kid? Affirm correct responses. That’s right. Let’s place the K in the first box. Now let’s stretch the word kid again together this time: /k/ /ĭĭĭ/ /d/. Which sound do you hear in the middle of the word kid? (/ĭ/) Yes! /ĭ/ is in the middle of the word kid. Which of your letter tiles has the /ĭ/ sound? (/I/) Yes, that’s right! The letter I makes the /ĭ/ sound. Which box will we place the letter I in to spell the word kid? Affirm correct responses. That’s right. Let’s place the I in the middle box. Now let’s stretch the word kid one last time: /k/ /ĭĭĭ/ /d/. Which sound do you hear at the end of the word kid? (/d/) Yes! /d/ is at the end of the word kid. Which of your letter tiles has the /d/ sound? (D) Yes, that’s right! The letter D makes the /d/ sound. Which box will we place the letter D in to spell the word kid? Affirm correct responses. That’s right. Let’s place the D in the last box. Let’s spell the word together: K-I-D. Now let’s read the word: kid. K-I-D spells kid. Repeat the procedure for van, kit, vet, yet, yam, zip.”

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

• In kindergarten, students work on the lesson “Cycle 1 Spelling Lesson Letter Focus: M, A, P, C.” The materials include a variety of resources to help the students practice spelling words with m, a, p, and c; however, the materials do not incorporate a variety of activities and resources to develop, practice, and reinforce grade-level spelling patterns. The materials include mnemonic cards for M, A, P, and C; letter tiles; sound box pages; and spelling practice pages. The lesson suggests using the mnemonic cards to review the letters and their corresponding sounds. Students use the letter tiles and sound boxes to build the words and segment the sounds. The materials provide example words to use, such as am, Cam, Pam, camp, map, and cap. The lesson provides varied opportunities for the students to practice sound-spelling patterns using m, a, p, and c. Students use the “Spelling Practice” page to name each picture and spell it in the corresponding boxes.
• The materials include a variety of activities to develop, practice, and reinforce students’ knowledge of sound-spelling patterns but do not have activities in regard to digraphs. For example, the “Cycle 6 Spelling Lesson Letter Focus: Z, K, Y, V” introduces CVC words, and students practice with letter tiles. The teacher script includes the following, “Find the letter K, letter I, and letter D in your letter tiles.” It also includes teacher actions such as “display your letter tiles to help students who may be having trouble.”
• Materials include “The Word Masters Card Game Player’s Guide,” which is included with each cycle starting after Cycle 3. The player’s guide states, “The Word Masters Card Game is designed for students to spell words using previously taught phonics skills. The game includes cards illustrated with a letter or letter combinations and characters called the Fantastic Phonics. Word Masters may be played individually or multiplayer.” Each cycle has a different set of playing cards depending on phonics taught in that cycle; however, these materials develop, practice, and reinforce grade-level spelling patterns of digraphs.

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).

• Materials provide a variety of activities and resources to decode and encode words but do not include grade-level sound-spelling patterns in isolation and continuous text such as in “Cycle 2 Spelling Lesson Letter Focus: T, I, S, L extension,” the magnetic letters c, a, t, s, m, p are used for an activity. The teacher explains they are going to review some letters they have already learned by the teacher calling out the letter, and the students pull it from the other letters of their cut-out Letter Tiles printout. The teacher calls out the letters c, a, s, and m one at a time. The teacher explains they are going to play a game called “Break and Make,” where they break a word to make a new one. The teacher tells the students to make the word cat from their letter tiles. The teacher shows how to break the word cat by taking off the c. The teacher takes the m and put it where the c was and explains he/she has a brand new word and has the students read the word mat. The teacher instructs students to break the m off and replace it with an s and repeats the process of having the students read the word. Then the teacher tells the students he/she wants to make the word pat but needs help. The teacher asks the students which letter they should break from sat to make it read pat. Additionally, students use the “Spelling Practice” page to spell the words that the teacher dictates and follow the learned pattern.
• 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). However, the materials do not have explicit instruction grade-level sound-spelling patterns in regard to digraphs. Materials include “Skill Word Lists” for each cycle. Materials include “Suggested Uses for Skill Word Lists” in the Teacher Resources. The suggested uses are Highlighting, Category Replication, Spelling Lists, Webbing, and Reverse Webbing. The materials provide guidance for Highlighting as follows, “The teacher provides copies of the decodable words category from the Skill Words list for each student. Students search through the list for particular spelling patterns, blends, word endings, etc. When they find the particular item, they use a highlighter to highlight it.” The Cycle 3 word list contains short /o/ and consonant blends (sl, sn, sp, st, -nd, -nt).
• In the Word Masters Card Game, students spell words using previously taught phonics skills. The game includes cards illustrated with a letter or letter combinations and characters called the Fantastic Phonics. Word Masters may be played individually or multiplayer. The Word Masters Card Game may be introduced to students once they have completed Cycle 3 in Istation Reading.
• Materials contain decodable readers for students to decode taught sound-spelling patterns in connected text that builds on previous instruction, but the decodable readers do not address digraphs. In Dots and Spots, students practice decoding consonant blends with short /o/. The book also contains previously taught CVC words. In the decodable reader Tim and Sam, students decode short /i/ or short /a/ CVC words.

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 partially meet the criteria for this indicator. Materials provide some 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 some activities and resources for students to develop and practice skills. Materials do not include cumulative review. Materials provide some activities and resources for students to recognize, read, and write high-frequency words in isolation (e.g., word lists) and to recognize and read 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.

• Materials include 32 high-frequency words (HFW) in Cycles 0–7. This meets the TEKS of identifying and reading at least 25 high-frequency words, although some of these words are also grade 1 high-frequency words since Cycles 3–7 overlap both kindergarten and grade 1.
• According to the Istation Reading Curriculum Correlated to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for ELA and Reading, Kindergarten Content at a Glance, and the Kindergarten Scope and Sequence, students learn the following high-frequency words in the following sequence:
  • Cycle 1: and, the, see, has
  • Cycle 2: this, is his, go
  • Cycle 3: here, are, you, they
  • Cycle 4: my, where, with, to
  • Cycle 5: what, said, for her
  • Cycle 6: was, that, from, she
  • Cycle 7: do, come, there have, of, some

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

• Materials provide scripted direct (explicit) instruction for decoding regular and irregular high-frequency words. “High-Frequency Words Cycle 1 - and, the, see, has” contains three lessons. In the first lesson, the teacher starts the lesson, “Today we will learn four new high-frequency words. These words will help you in our reading and writing.” The teacher shows the first word and and says, “Let’s snap and clap the letters in the word and. Watch me as I model for you.” The teacher directions instruct the teacher to model snapping as they say a, snapping as they say n, and snapping as they say d. Then clap once as they say the word and. In the second lesson, students read the high-frequency words and, the, see, and has within a text. The teacher reviews snapping and clapping the words. Next, the teacher says, “You will see these words many times in your reading and use them in your writing. They will help you when you read and write. Today, we will read some poems that have these high-frequency words in them. When you see these words when you read, it is important to read them quickly.”
• In “High-Frequency Words Cycle 5, Lesson 1 – what, said, for, her,” teachers remind students, “We learn high frequency or sight words because they help us in our reading and writing. We have already learned some.” The teacher quickly reads four or five of the previously taught words that are posted on the wall (see, they, has, and, this, go). “Today, we will learn four new high-frequency words, or sight words. Remember, high-frequency words are words that we see a lot in our reading and use a lot in our writing.” The teacher shows the first word and says, “The first word is my. Have students repeat the word. Post the word and say: ‘Let’s snap and clap the letters in the word my.’ Say: ‘The word my has two letters and one syllable.’ Repeat the above sequence, snapping and clapping with the other words: where, with, to. Tell students that now they will play Letter Deletion. ‘When we picture a word in our mind, it helps us spell that word. Remember, this game will help us create a visual picture of the word.’” The teacher explains that she will write the word and then delete (erase) a letter. Students need to say which letter has been deleted. The teacher writes the word my on the board. Students spell the word m-y. Then the teacher deletes the m and says: “What letter was deleted? (m) Write the m again to complete the word. Then erase a different letter. Again, ask ‘what letter was deleted.’ Repeat deleting letters until finally, you have deleted all the letters. This is an excellent activity for students to create a visual memory of the word. Repeat Letter Deletion process with the other words: where, with, to.” The teacher script refers to memorizing high-frequency words, which is not a phonics lesson.

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

• In “High-Frequency Words Cycle 1 – and, the, see, has,” students practice with high-frequency words in isolation and in context as well as in rapid repeated readings. Students use the High-Frequency Word Chart during Guided Practice to practice reading the words in isolation. Additionally, the materials provide the nursery rhyme Hey, Diddle Diddle to practice reading high-frequency words and, the, see, and has in context. The materials provide decodable books that include high-frequency words for students to practice reading in context. Some book titles include My Hands and Feet, which includes the high-frequency words my, to, where, and with, and Hide and Seek, which includes the high-frequency words do, have, some, there, of, and come. There are no activities that provide cumulative review.
• The activities and resources support students' development of high-frequency word knowledge. For example, in the “High-Frequency Words Cycle 5 Lesson – what, said, for, her,” the materials include a decodable poem, “Words Can be so Tricky,” that emphasizes high-frequency words and can be used for word hunts. The teacher begins by reading the poem, and students listen for high-frequency words. Students and the teacher reread the poem. The teacher says, “We learn high-frequency words to help us when we read and write. When we see the word in print, we can just read it quickly. If we want to write the word, we can look at the chart and write the word quickly.”
• Materials incorporate activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce skills. There are no activities that provide cumulative review. In “Cycle 5, Lesson 17 - Read Sentences with HFWs,” students read sentences with high-frequency words what, said, her, and for. The teacher begins the lesson by saying, “Today we will practice reading some words that we see a LOT in books. These words do not always follow our letter patterns.” During the guided practice, the teacher distributes the fluency page to each student. Students practice as a class and then with partners reading the words and sentences on the paper. The sentences include “It is a note, said dad.”; “It will be fun to run and jump with Joan.”; and “What is in the cup?”.

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).

• Materials provide a variety of activities and resources for students to recognize and read high-frequency words in isolation. Materials provide Word Bank Cards for Cycles 1–11 that include decodable words, HFWs, and vocabulary words. Materials include “Suggested Uses for Word Bank Cards” in the Teacher Resources. The suggested uses are Fish for a sentence (individual or whole class), Part of speech sort (partners or whole class), Segmenting Practice (small groups), Blending Practice (small groups), Compound word sticks (small groups), Syllable Clap (small groups), Cloze (small groups), and Word Scramble (small groups or whole class). Materials do not provide a variety of activities and resources for students to write high-frequency words in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in connected text (e.g., within sentences or decodable texts).
• “High-Frequency Words Cycle 1 – and, the, see, has” includes a scripted procedure for introducing high-frequency words. In this procedural routine, students snap for each letter in the high-frequency word. When introducing the word and, the lesson prompts the teacher to model snapping as students say a, snapping as students say n, and snapping as students say d. Then the teacher asks students to clap once when they say the word. The teacher then tells the students, “The word and has three letters and one syllable.” The teacher follows this routine for all the high-frequency words that are introduced in this lesson. The children continue counting how many letters are in the word and how many syllables it contains. This is a drill that students practice when they encounter new high-frequency words.
• The materials include a variety of activities and resources for recognizing and reading high-frequency words in connected text. For example, the materials include decodable poetry, passages, and books that emphasize regular and irregular high-frequency words. The decodable book Tim at Camp focuses on high-frequency words: go, his, is, and this in Cycle 2.
• In Cycle 3, “Lesson 23 - Read Sentences with HFWs,” students decode high-frequency words in connected texts. Students practice reading high-frequency words they, you, are, and here in sentences on the Fluency Practice Page. Some example sentences from the Fluency Practice Page are You can sit here and They are here in a tent.

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.

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.

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 partially meet the criteria for this indicator. Materials provide some 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 some practice with word lists and practice with decodable connected texts in the lessons. Materials do not include embedded modeling and practice with decodable phrases/sentences or connected text. Materials provide practice activities for word reading fluency in a variety of settings (e.g., independently, in partners, in guided small groups, etc.). 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 lesson plans include explicit modeling and demonstration of skills with word lists but do not contain decodable phrases, sentences, and decodable connected text for modeling. For example, in Cycle 1, Lesson 13, students blend sounds to read words with the short vowel sound /a/. Students use letter cards throughout this lesson to read words. The teacher demonstrates how to space out letter cards and models how to blend the individual sounds to read the word fluently. The lesson prompts the teacher to ensure that students blend and read the following words, Cam, Pam, Mac, cap, and am. During guided practice, the teacher and the students continue to use the letter cards to blend sounds to read words. The lesson guides the teacher to provide corrective feedback if needed. Additionally, students complete the “Alphabetic Decoding Subtest” as the Digital Student Experience as they complete ISIP ER. Students may continue to practice reading words with short vowel sound /a/ with decodable books such as The Act and Pam and Cam. 
• Materials include embedded word reading fluency practice with word lists and decodable connected texts. Materials do not contain decodable phrases and sentences. In “Phonics Lesson 21: Decoding with Short o,” the teacher and students practice blending short /o/ words rod, top, mop, rot, not, and pot with letter cards. For independent practice, the teacher shows a word and asks the sounds to read the word aloud by blending the sounds together.
• Materials include embedded word reading fluency practice with word lists. In “Phonics Lesson 22 Decoding with Short u, Teach: Blend sounds to read and spell words,” the teacher says, “When we read words, we blend letter sounds together. Try to sound out this word: sum, /s/ /u/ /m/. You are reading by blending letter sounds together to say the word! You are also using sounds and letters to spell the word. Great job!” In Independent Practice, the teacher says, “Now let's see how well we can blend sounds to read words. I will show a word. You read the word aloud. Blending the sounds together will help. Say each word by sounding it out.” The teacher uses letter cards to spell these words: sun, hum, gum, run, up, us, pup, cup, bump, jump, hump, just, plum, and drum. The teacher gives each student an opportunity to demonstrate proficiency with blending/reading words.
• Materials include embedded word reading fluency practice with decodable connected texts. In Cycle 5 B, the decodable reader “But in the Mud” has words with short u that students can read whole group, small group, or independently. The decodable reader can be printed or assigned to a student in their digital app.

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

• Materials provide practice activities for word reading fluency in a variety of settings (e.g., independently, in partners, in guided small groups, etc.). Materials include “Skill Word Lists” for each cycle. Materials include “Suggested Uses for Skill Word Lists” in the Teacher Resources. The suggested uses are Highlighting (individual student practice), Category Replication (small group), Spelling Lists, Webbing (small group or whole class), and Reverse Webbing (small group or whole class).
• Materials provide practice activities for word reading fluency in a variety of settings (e.g., independently, in partners, in guided small groups, etc.). Materials include “Word Bank Cards” for each cycle. Materials include “Suggested Uses for Word Bank Cards” in the Teacher Resources. The suggested uses are Fish for a sentence (individual or whole class), Part of speech sort (partners or whole class), Segmenting Practice (small groups), Blending Practice (small groups), Compound word sticks (small groups), Syllable Clap (small groups), Cloze (small groups), and Word Scramble (small groups or whole class).
• The materials guide teachers to provide practice with word reading fluency in small groups. For example, in Cycle 6, Lesson 11, students blend sounds to read CVC and CVCe words. The teacher models sounding out each phoneme in the words before students try. After sounding out each phoneme, students say the sounds faster (read the word).

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

• Materials provide a variety of grade-level decodable connected texts that are aligned to the phonics scope and sequence. Materials provide an “IStation Books and Passages” document linked in the Istation Program Guide For TEA slides and on the Istation website. This document includes a list of the books in each cycle and the skill taught within the book. For example, Cycle 2 contains the decodable text Mac and Cam, which focuses on the short vowel /a/. The Istation Books and Passages document is aligned to the phonics scope and sequence. The Scope and Sequence shows short vowel /a/ is specifically taught in Cycle 2.
• The “Istation Books and Passages” document has books listed by cycle. Within the chart for each cycle, there are columns titled Title, Type of Text, Lexile Measure, and Skills (phonics patterns, vocabulary, comprehension). Decodable books are on the Istation Website once logged in by using the search bar and typing “decodable” or clicking on the search filter “book” on the left side. An example of a kindergarten decodable reader is See Sam Sit in Cycle 2, which focuses on CVC words with short /a/ and short /i/. Although decodable books and passages are available, it is not noted in the lessons which decodable book to use with the lesson.

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 indicator 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 for measuring phonological awareness and phonics skills. ISIP is an automated computer adaptive testing (CAT) system that automatically assigns a monthly assessment to each student. It can be given more often if desired through the On Demand Assessment option. ISIP Assessments can be used as benchmarks and as continuous progress monitoring tools. ISIP Reading (PreK-3) assesses all critical areas of early reading literacy and measures students’ overall reading ability using kindergarten subtests of Letter Knowledge, Listening Comprehension, Phonemic Awareness, Vocabulary, and Oral Reading Fluency.
• The Phonemic Awareness subtest consists of two types of items: Beginning, Ending, and Rhyming Sounds and Phonemic Blending Alphabetic Decoding, which measures the ability to blend letters into nonsense words in which letters represent their most common sounds. Materials state nonsense words are used because students differ in their sight word recognition skills. By using nonsense words, the test more accurately assesses the ability to match letters to sounds and the ability to decode an unknown word when it is presented. For this subtest, four items appear on the screen. The student identifies the non-word that is orally pronounced by the narrator. Items for this subtest have been carefully constructed to move from easier to harder so that the subtest is appropriate across several grade levels.
• The diagnostic tools reflect the continuum of phonological awareness and phonics skills as explained in the grade-level TEKS. The document titled “ISIP ER (Early Reading ) Istation Teacher Resource Lessons ISIP Phonological/Phonemic Awareness” shows the following continuum of what is assessed digitally as a student interacts via a computer: “There are six item types used to measure a student’s Phonological and Phonemic Awareness, as detailed below. Identifying initial sounds: Students are shown four pictures that the narrator identifies as each picture is highlighted. The narrator then asks students to click on the picture that begins with the same sound as a given word and sound. Identifying final sounds: The same procedure is followed as identifying initial sounds. Recognize and Identify rhyming words: The same procedure is followed as identifying initial and final sounds. Blending phonemes: Students are again shown four pictures that the narrator identifies. The narrator says the target word in segmented phonemes while an animated head produces each sound. The student is asked to choose the word that was spoken in segmented phonemes. Blending syllables: The same procedure is followed as blending phonemes. Blending component words into compound words: The same procedure is followed as the other blending activities.”

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

• The materials provide an Assessment Day Script. This script provides guidance to help the teacher efficiently administer the assessment. The script helps ensure consistent and standardized administration across examiners. For example, the script prompts the teacher to say, “Today, we will be using the computer to play some games that will assess your skills in reading. It is important that you listen carefully, follow the instructions, and do your very best. This is a test, so keep your eyes on YOUR computer. Work as quickly as possible without guessing. If you need help, raise your hand.” Additionally, the directions recommend how and where to begin. The script prompts the teacher to pass out login cards and model the login steps on the computer. As stated in the script, the teacher says, “Let’s get started. In the first blank box, type your user name. In the second blank box, type your password. Put your headphones on and click OK.” The directions continue to clearly specify when to move to the next task and when to discontinue the assessment. The script states, “If students need assistance or must take a break, FIRST press the Pause key on the keyboard. Failure to pause will result in the assessment continuing to run while assistance is being provided. When the student is ready to return to the assessment, press the Pause key again.”
• Materials provide clear, consistent directions for accurate administration of diagnostic tools. Materials state an ISIP assessment is given automatically each month. Additional On Demand assessments can be given at any time during the school year. Teachers can assign assessments to individual students at the Istation website at www.istation.com. The student logs in to the assessment, and it is automatically administered.
• Materials provide a Teacher and Lab Manager Preparation Manual. The manual contains administration guidelines for online assessments. The first guideline is, “Orient the student to the assessment area and explain the assessment process and the setting before the test is begun. Encourage a positive attitude toward the test.” The manual instructs the teacher to say, “SAY Today we will play some reading games on the computer that will show how well you are learning to read. Smart Alex Treebeack and his friend Batana White will help you. It is important that you listen carefully, follow the instructions and do your very best!” The manual provides information on each assessment and what the teacher should expect. For example, the Beginning Sound assesses a student’s ability to recognize the initial, final, or rhyming sound in an orally presented word. Four items appear on the screen at once. The narrator says the name of each picture as the box around it highlights. Then the student is asked to click on the picture that has the same beginning, ending, or rhyming sound as the sound produced orally by the narrator.
• The materials include detailed information that supports the teacher’s understanding of the diagnostic tools in the curriculum and the scoring procedures. The Istation website, under the header toolbox, has information for the teacher on the ISIP assessment in regard to pillars of reading that are assessed by grade. This page explains that ISIP is computer adaptive with questions that range from easy to hard for each subtest that adjusts the level of difficulty based on how students are responding to the questions. There is additional information on the national norms and ability index that are a part of the student assessment. The ISIP Early Reading Technical Manual provides teachers with information in regard to the ISIP assessment in the areas of The Need to Link Early Reading Assessment to Instructional Computer Adaptive Testing, ISIP Early Reading Assessment Domains, ISIP Early Reading Items, ISIP Early Reading Subtests, Description of Each Subtest, and Understanding ISIP Early Reading Scores.

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

• The materials include online reports that document individual and whole-class data regarding progress on taught phonological awareness and phonics skills. The ISIP Early Reading Technical Manual provides descriptions of the different reports in the materials. Because scoring is done automatically, the teacher can retrieve individual and class reports to determine what additional instruction is needed as soon as students complete the assessment.
• The data management tools help teachers understand the data and how to use it to track student progress. For example, the program color codes student data by level of mastery and suggests multi-tiered supports for student progress. For example, the program color codes student data by level of mastery and suggests multi-tiered supports for student progress. Tier 1 performance is depicted by green, Tier 2 yellow, and Tier 3 red.
• Materials include data-management tools for tracking individual and whole-class student progress. Teachers are able to access the reports online.
  • The Skill Growth Reports show each skill assessed and the progress made by the students through the current month as they mature against performance goals. Teachers can customize the report for Phonemic Awareness or Alphabetic Decoding.
  • The Priority Report alerts teachers of students who need additional support and provides lessons based on demonstrated weaknesses.
  • The Student Summary Handout provides performance data from the most recently completed ISIP assessment.
  • The Standards Report groups the standards that relate to each ISIP skill and provides actionable steps to help improve each skill.
  • The Classroom Summary Report shows the performance data from the most recently completed ISIP assessment.
• The Istation's Indicators of Progress (ISIP) Early Reading Technical Manual and the Istation website, under the tab reports, have a visual of each report that can be printed and a few sentences explaining the purpose of the report. The reports are titled Summary, Skill Growth, SKill Growth by Tier, Tier Movement, Distribution, Priority, Student, Summary Handouts, Lexile Trend, Rate of Improvement, Classroom Summary, and Standards Report. These programs have a color coding system based on student performance. The green “get help” question mark at the top right of the page gives additional information and videos to explain in more detail what you are currently viewing on the website/webpage.

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

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

Materials include some progress monitoring tools that systematically and accurately measure students’ acquisition of grade-level skills. Materials do not include specific guidance on determining 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 such as ISIP, which contains various subtests such as phonemic awareness, alphabetic decoding, spelling, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and fluency. This tool routinely and systematically assesses students’ acquisition of grade-level skills at the beginning of every month. For example, in kindergarten, the Phonemic Awareness subtest consists of two types of items: Beginning, Ending, Rhyming Sounds, and Phonemic Blending. Based on the student’s individual ISIP performance, teachers can assess and pinpoint students’ specific areas needed.
• Materials include built-in assessments on the online program. ISIP integrates computerized adaptive testing that reflects the reading ability level of each student and measures growth over time. These assessments can be used for progress monitoring. Materials state an ISIP assessment is given automatically each month. Additional On Demand assessments can be given at any time during the school year. Teachers can assign assessments to individual students at the Istation website at www.istation.com. The student logs in to the assessment, and it is automatically administered.
• The materials do not recommend embedded systematic observations of students’ everyday activities and interactions to track progress and assess skills in authentic situations. The materials do not contain guidance on noticing and tracking students’ demonstration of syllabication during authentic situations such as read-alouds, songs, games, or centers. The materials do not include checklists for documenting progress and observational forms for anecdotal notes regarding specific phonological awareness or phonics skills observed during literacy centers, small group instruction, writing workshops, and other daily activities. At the end of a few lessons, the general Teacher Observation Page contains an Observation chart for teachers to make anecdotal notes about reading behaviors, skills, strategies, and needs or to take a short running record of reading accuracy.

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

• ISIP Early Reading provides monthly assessments of early reading skills. Assessments can be run more frequently by teacher assignment on the Istation website at www.istation.com. The materials do not guide teachers to monitor progress for age and for skill development.
• Materials state an ISIP assessment can be given each month, but it does not give guidance on the frequency of progress monitoring based on students’ strengths and needs. For example, if a student logs in on September 1st, an ISIP assessment will be given, but if the student doesn't log in until September 15th, an ISIP assessment will still be given because it is the first time the student has logged in for the month. This schedule results in 8–12 automatic assessments per year, depending on the length of each district's school year. Additional On Demand assessments can be given at any time during the school year. The Student Detail report displays information about student performance by skill. Each skill is broken down into specific activities where the student received instruction. Clicking on available tabs provides further detailed information for specific skills
• On Demand assessments can be given at any time during the school year, but there is no specific guidance on determining frequency based on a student's strengths and needs. Teachers can assign assessments to individual students at the Istation website at www.istation.com. The student logs in to the assessment, and it is automatically administered.
• The materials include suggested timelines for checking progress that align with the TEKS and the scope and sequence of the materials, which is considered formative/summative assessment and not progress monitoring.

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 responses to individual student’s 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 to 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.

• ISIP Early Reading delivers a real-time evaluation of results and immediate availability of reports on student progress upon assessment completion. Assessment reports automatically group students according to the level of support needed as well as skill needs. Data is in both graphical and detailed numerical format on every measure. Reports provide summary and skill information for the current and prior assessment periods that can be used to evaluate curriculum, plan instruction and support, and manage resources.
• The assessment tool results in data to be analyzed and interpreted. The color coding of both class and individual student reports and the way in which they are laid out in bar graphs and charts help teachers to determine student areas of strength and growth to help with instructional/intervention planning. Istation has defined a three-tier normative grouping to guide educators in determining the level of instruction for each student.
  • Tier 1 (above the 40th percentile) students are on track and performing at grade level. This tier is color-coded in green.
  • Tier 2 (between 21st and 40th percentile) students are at some risk, are performing moderately below grade level, and are in need of intervention. This tier is color-coded in yellow.
  • Tier 3 (20th percentile and below) students are at risk, are performing seriously below grade level, and are in need of intensive intervention. This tier is color-coded in red.
• Materials include an Istation’s Indicators of Progress (ISIP) Early Reading Technical Manual that provides support to teachers and explains all the assessments and how to understand the data. A visual of each report is available, along with a description and explanation of each report and how the report can be utilized to guide instruction/intervention. In the manual, Chapter 3 is about using and interpreting ISIP ER Reports. In Chapter 3, teachers find information on understanding ISIP Early Reading Scores, using and interpreting ISIP Early Reading Reports, and navigating the reports. Teachers can find information about accessing downloadable lessons.
• Teachers access reports online. The Skill Growth Reports show each skill assessed and the progress made by the students through the current month as they mature against performance goals. Priority Reports alert teachers of students needing additional support and provide lessons based on demonstrated weaknesses. Standards Reports group the standards that relate to each ISIP skill and provide actionable steps to help improve each skill. Teachers can customize the report for Phonemic Awareness or Alphabetic Decoding.

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

• The data-management tools allow teachers to color-code or organize student data to differentiate phonics instruction and easily group students according to assessment results. Istation materials provide various reports that teachers may use to help plan their core phonics instruction. For example, the Summary Report shows the number and percentage of students at each of three instructional tiers: Tier 1 — no risk (above the 40th percentile), Tier 2 — some risk (between the 21–40th percentile), and Tier 3 — at risk (20th percentile and below). Additionally, the teacher may also use the Skill Growth Report to monitor the progress made by the students through the current month as measured against performance goals. The teacher has the option to look at specific phonics skills, such as alphabetic decoding and letter knowledge to gain a better understanding of the areas of needed improvement for each student. The Priority Report is also available to teachers and helps identify the skill weaknesses of students.
• Diagnostic tools provide teachers with guidance on how to plan and differentiate instruction based on student data. Materials include a Priority Report that alerts teachers of students needing additional support and recommends teacher-directed lessons based on demonstrated weaknesses. The lessons are listed on the report, along with the difficulties the student had with the identified skill or skills. Additional teacher-directed plans of instruction and downloadable lessons and materials are in the Teacher Resources section of the Istation Reports website.
• The materials include teacher guidance for differentiating instruction based on the students’ demonstrated understanding of specific phonological awareness or phonics skills. In the document Early Reading Istation Teacher Resource Lessons ISIP Phonological/Phonemic Awareness, there is a chart labeled Procedure for Managing Teacher Resource Lessons. The chart guides teachers to review student data using ISIP Reports and establish small groups. For Tier 1 students, administer the Tier 2 versions of the focus skill based on the ISIP report/small group to ensure proficiency. From the group of lessons, select the lesson that best meets the needs of each small group. After teaching each lesson, teachers chart the progress of students. If a student has difficulty with the lesson that was chosen, then deliver the Tier 3 version. If a student demonstrates mastery at that particular level of instruction, then deliver the next appropriate lesson, advancing toward the most sophisticated skill.

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

• Materials provide a variety of research-based student resources that teachers can choose from to respond to student data. For example, the materials provide Priority lessons that provide interventions for certain skills. The materials may also include games or word sorts, or Tier 2 Lessons such as the Initial Sound Fluency lesson. The lesson is for a Phonological Awareness priority alert as a result of an ISIP assessment. The lesson includes picture cards and Tab’s Stretch Mat to guide students in stretching out words to hear the sounds.
• The Priority Report helps identify skill weaknesses for students. Teachers can access recommended teacher-directed lessons by clicking links to lessons under the Recommended Teacher-Directed Lessons headings on the Priority Report. Additional teacher-directed plans of instruction and downloadable lessons and materials are available in the Teacher Resources section of the Istation Reports website. The materials included in the teacher-directed plans provide a variety of research-based student resources that teachers can choose from to respond to student data. For example, in Cycle 6, Letter Lessons, teachers use mnemonic cards for reference throughout the lesson. Through direct teacher delivery, the students learn how to form the letter Z using the Practice Page provided in the materials. Additionally, the teacher may use the Observations page to make anecdotal notes about reading behaviors, skills, strategies, and needs, or to take a short running record of reading accuracy. The information noted can then be used in addition to the Priority Report to shape instructional decisions and groupings.
• Materials provide a variety of research-based student resources that teachers can choose from to respond to student data. For example, the priority report helps identify students who will benefit from further intervention and provides links to teacher-directed lessons and supplemental materials. Detailed directions to access the report are provided as well as a tutorial video. In the lesson plan, the “Phonics – Lesson 1 Letter Discrimination” game is played with students to identify the upper case and lower case letters. There are letter cards for playing a matching game as well.
• Materials provide a variety of research-based student resources that teachers can choose from to respond to student data. On the homepage under the heading reports, it shows that teachers can utilize the Priority Report to alert teachers of students needing additional support and provide lessons based on demonstrated weaknesses. There are Tier 2 and Tier 3 ISIP Early Reading Phonological Awareness PDF lessons for teachers to utilize based on various Phonological Awareness skills.

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

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

Materials provide some targeted instruction and activities to scaffold learning for students who have not yet mastered grade-level foundational phonics skills. Materials provide some targeted instruction and activities to accelerate learning for students who have achieved grade-level mastery of foundational phonics skills. Materials provide some 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 include some guidance for scaffolding instruction and differentiating activities based on targeted areas that students have not yet mastered. Materials include a Reteach section within the lessons with extra modeling and practice within a small group setting, not differentiated activities. For example, in Cycle 3, Short Vowel o, there is a Reteach section, “For students requiring more instruction and practice.” The teacher script says, “Notice that when I say the /o/ sound, my mouth is open like this. Watch me. (Demonstrate.) Now you say /o/. Open your mouth. Watch my mouth as I say /o/. (Make the hand sign for the letter o as you make the sound.) Repeat each /o/ word after me. Watch my mouth and make the hand sign for o. Ready? Listen and watch: on. Now you say it. Continue modeling these words: off, ocelot, odd, opera.” The reteach is exactly the same as the Teach part.
• Materials provide some additional Tier 2 lessons for targeted instruction that include differentiated instructional approaches, but there is not one for every skill. The Tier 2: CVCC Blends lesson allows students to practice blending letters to read words ending in the blend mp using Elkonin boxes. The ISIP ER Phonological Awareness: Blending Syllables Tier 2 lesson provides support in teaching students to blend syllables into words with pictorial examples.
• The materials do not include research-based guidance that supports teachers in understanding developmental continuums across foundational phonics skills. Materials include some guidance for scaffolding instruction and differentiating activities based on targeted areas that students have not yet mastered. For example, after students complete their initial placement assessment, teachers have access to the Priority Report, which lists the areas that students have not yet mastered. In this report, the teacher finds suggestions for skills that need to be retaught. These suggested lessons are titled Recommended Teacher Directed Lessons. For a student who is struggling to identify syllables, the teacher may be prompted to deliver the lesson titled “Clapping Clara: Segmenting Words Into Syllables,” where students segment one-, two-, and three-syllable words by clapping and then pushing counters into boxes. Furthermore, the materials include differentiated instructional approaches. For example, in “Clapping Clara: Segmenting Words Into Syllables,” the lesson materials include a Clapping Clara blackline page and picture cards for students to use when practicing syllable segmentation skills. Additionally, the lesson includes an observations page for the teacher to use when annotating student progress.
• Materials do include an online program that personalizes learning based on the student’s score and ability on the ISIP assessment. If needed, the online learning goes back and has lessons and games to review previous learning that has not been mastered. In addition, teachers can assign certain digital activities to students based on their learning needs.

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

• ISIP online learning lessons provide additional activities and resources to support student choice and to extend and explore new learning in collaborative groups or independently. The online materials adjust based on student mastery of the phonics skills. For example, once students have mastered the high-frequency words and, see, the, and has, students move on to Cycle Two and receive instruction on a new set of high-frequency words. However, note that students do not choose their pathways and activities. It is determined by their performance on the ISIP assessment.
• The Istation student digital learning app is based on how the students do on the monthly ISIP assessment so that the online learning is personalized. Students that score well on the monthly ISIP assessment may be placed in higher-level learning experiences (Cycle Lessons beyond what other students are working on) on the app, which is seen more as moving on in content instead of enrichment and extension of current skills. As stated in the parent ISIP letter, “Based on assessment results, students then receive instruction based on their individual needs through Istation’s online interactive curriculum. The interactive reading curriculum provides instruction and practice in all of the critical reading areas. Students receive this instruction in a fun, animated format that motivates students to learn.”
• Materials do not include guidance for teachers on including targeted instruction and activities for students who have mastered grade-level foundational phonics skills. The computer component of the program continues to advance students through lessons and cycles as students show mastery of the skills; however, the lessons do not include recommendations on upward scaffolding to support the extension and application of learning. The online materials include a variety of student activities that can be assigned based on the achievement of students’ grade-level mastery of phonics skills. For example, the teacher can assign specific assignments for students to explore new learning independently. Under “Classroom,” teachers have the option to select “Assignments.” The teacher may create an assignment for the selected students to do independently. For example, the teacher may assign additional lessons to extend and explore new learning through lessons such as “Rhyming Ralph,” “Clapping Clara,” “Magically Miss Mousely,” or “Tab.” Additionally, books may also be assigned to students under “Assignments.” These books would support the extension and application of learning. For example, after students have learned about short a and short i, the teacher may assign books such as Pip and His Lips or Tim and Sam.

Materials provide enrichment activities for all levels of learners.

• Materials provide some enrichment activities for all levels of learners in foundational phonics skills as activities such as word sorts and games that are not differentiated but rather played based on current phonics skills and one level of learners. For example, the Word Masters Card Game is designed for students to spell words using taught phonics skills. The game includes cards illustrated with a letter or letter combinations and characters called the Fantastic Phonics. The card deck contains current/previous phonic skills and can begin after Cycle 3 through Cycle 10. Students draw five cards and try to form words from the cards they have. Each word formed scores a point. If the player cannot form a word, they draw a card from the deck. The game ends when the player has no remaining cards in his or her deck or cannot spell a word with the cards in his or her hand.
• Materials provide some enrichment activities for all levels of learners in foundational phonics skills. In the Phonological/Phonemic Awareness Clapping Clara: Syllable Game, students can play with a partner or in small groups of three to practice segmenting words into syllables up to three syllables. This lesson is designed to complement the other Clapping Clara syllables lessons.
• Materials provide some enrichment activities for all levels of learners in foundational phonics skills. For example, the materials provide writing extensions. The kindergarten materials have an extension lesson to the decodable text Homes.The materials provide three different writing prompts along with graphic organizers (i.e., Venn diagram, KWL chart) to help students organize their thoughts. One example of a prompt says, “Using a KWLS chart, research your favorite animal and write a description of the animal’s habitat. As you research, you might want to make a word bank with pictures to help you remember important words to use in your writing. Remember, when you are writing to give information, you should begin with a topic, provide facts about your topic, and then write a closing paragraph or sentence about your topic. Use the editing checklist to revise and edit your work. As you revise and edit your writing, check to be sure that you have used word patterns and rules to spell words correctly. If you aren’t sure whether a word is spelled correctly, circle the word and use a dictionary to look up the correct spelling.” Writing extension activities are not foundational literacy activities.

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 the 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.

• Materials engage students in the mastery of the content through a variety of instructional approaches. For example, in Phonics Lesson 8: Letter Sound Identification, the teacher makes a letter sound, and the students show the letter that makes that particular sound. The teacher says, “Place your cards face up in front of you. I will make a sound. First, I want you to repeat the sound. Then when I give you the signal (pointing to the students), I want you to show me the letter that makes that sound.”
• Materials engage students in the mastery of the content through a variety of instructional approaches. For example, the lesson plan Phonics – Lesson 1 Letter Discrimination includes kinesthetic activities (e.g., body movements, arm gestures, air writing, finger-counting, hopping, movement of letter tiles or counters, word-building activities, word sorts). Letters with very dissimilar shapes, such as O - X or C – W, etc., are shown to students. The teacher holds up the capital letter O and provides descriptive clues, “This is the capital letter O. This letter looks like a circle.” The teacher shows their finger tracing the letter while describing it.
• Materials engage students in the mastery of the content through a variety of instructional approaches. For example, in Cycle 2, Lesson 11, Vowel Sounds /a/ and /i/, students use letter cards and engage in tracing the letter as they say the sound. Materials engage students in the mastery of the content through developmentally appropriate instructional approaches. For example, in this same lesson, students turn and talk to their partners to explain how the letter i looks. Additionally, students engage in a sing-along of “Old McDonald Had a Farm” to practice the sound of the vowel learned.

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

• Materials support a variety of instructional settings. In “Phonics – Lesson 1 Letter Discrimination,” students work in whole group playing Who Has this Letter. The teacher holds up a capital letter card, and the student with the matching lowercase letter cards shows their letter. During independent work, students work in pairs matching capital and lowercase letter cards.
• Materials support a variety of instructional settings. There are suggestions for small group activities during guided practice or independent practice. Lesson plans contain a “Reteach” lesson component. In Cycle 2, Lesson 11, the teacher begins the core instruction in a whole group setting. In Guided Practice, the students engage in a whole group activity where students sign “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” to practice /i/ and /a/ sounds. The lesson component labeled “Reteach” instructs the teacher to provide explicit instruction with modeling and guided practice in small groups. Lastly, in Independent Practice, students listen to the sound dictated by the teacher and hold the letter card to indicate the letter-sound correspondence. The teacher completes this activity for every student individually and charts their progress.
• Materials support a variety of instructional settings (e.g., whole group, small group, one-on-one). Core lessons are provided to the whole group in a gradual release model. Materials provide independent practice activities after the teaching and guided practice within each lesson as part of the gradual release model. Materials contain suggestions for reteaching within the lessons for small group. Cycle 3, Lesson 10, “Blend Sounds and Letters to Read Words,” contains a reteach section. It notes, “for students requiring more instruction and practice.” Materials do not contain center activities, one-on-one activities, or leveled activities (below, on-level and advanced).

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

The materials do not meet the criteria for this indicator. Materials do not include supports for Emergent Bilinguals to meet grade-level learning expectations.

Materials do not 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 do not encourage strategic use of students’ first language as a means to 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 do not include linguistic accommodations (communicated, sequenced, and scaffolded) commensurate with various levels of English language proficiency as defined by the ELPS. Materials provide an ELPS correlation guide showing how activities in the program align to listening, speaking, reading, and writing, but activities are not tiered for various levels of English language proficiency. Lessons do not have any information in regard to teaching and scaffolding for Multilingual Learners (MLs). The only item located for use with MLs was a document titled Suggest Use for Vocabulary category cards and cut-out cards of position images (inside, below, after). The document states, “This document gives instructors suggested activities to do with students using the Vocabulary Category Cards. These activities are particularly helpful for building categorical vocabulary of ELLs.” The ELPS are not referenced for this activity.
• In the teacher resources on the left-hand side, there is a filter option with ELs beginner, but these are the same lesson available to all students, and there is no reference to ELs or ELPS in the lesson. There was nothing in the teacher toolbox drop-down or the teacher help section in regard to English language proficiency.
• The materials provide tips for teachers regarding how to adjust speech and enunciation to promote understanding of letter-sound correspondence. For example, in the Istation reading lesson Blending Onset and Rime, the lesson materials give suggestions for the teacher to help with pronunciation. The script says, o When pronouncing the words in segmented form, it is important to make a clear break between the onset and rime.
  • When pronouncing the onset, do not add a vowel sound to the end of consonants. For example, the sound for d should not be pronounced /dŭh/.
  • When modeling how to blend the segmented words together, first say the word with a one-second pause between the onset and rime. Then say the onset and rime with a shorter pause between them. Finally, say the word fluently.
• It should be noted that the notes do not specifically suggest this for ELs and do not reference the ELPS.
• Materials do not include linguistic accommodations commensurate with various levels of English Language Proficiency as defined by the ELPS. The materials do not provide tips for teachers regarding how to adjust speech and enunciation to promote understanding of letter-sound correspondence. The materials do not suggest that teachers rephrase, repeat, or slow down directions when necessary. The materials do not include blackline masters or online activities to support various levels of English Language Proficiency.

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

• Materials do not encourage strategic use of students’ first language as a means of linguistic, affective, cognitive, and academic development in English. Lessons do not contain any information or guidance in regard to using a student’s first language as a means to linguistic, affective, cognitive, and academic development in English. There was nothing in the teacher toolbox drop-down or the teacher help section in regard to the use of students’ first language as a means to linguistic, affective, cognitive, and academic development in English.
• Materials do not encourage strategic use of students’ first language as a means of linguistic, affective, cognitive, and academic development in English. The materials do not include information about language transfer in a handbook, a side-by-side chart, or within lesson plans. The materials do not include videos for professional development about how and why to promote and build first language proficiency. However, the materials include family letters explaining the instructional objectives. The Parent Letters for ISIP are available in Spanish. This is an informational letter in Spanish for teachers to communicate with parents about which reading areas need improvement based on the most recent ISIP data for their child.