Kindergarten - Gateway 2

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2a.

The materials include a well-defined teacher resource for content presentation, which includes a detailed scope and sequence and a weekly planner. The teacher resource contains detailed information and instructional routines that help the teacher to effectively implement all foundational skills content through session-specific teacher-scripted lessons along with sidebars prompting for when and how to use the digital articulation videos and slides. The technology pieces provide support and guidance for the teacher and do not create an additional layer of complication around the materials.

Materials provide a well-defined, teacher resource (teacher edition, manual) for content presentation. For example: 

• The Teacher Guide contains the key objectives for each session. There is information for phonics, word analysis, high-frequency words, fluency, and differentiated supports for learners. The Teacher Guide provides a weekly scope, sequence, and detailed daily lesson plans, called sessions. The session plans are explicit and detailed. The sessions provides explicit instruction for the teacher to follow. The lesson supports the teacher with a check for understanding annotation containing a scaffold to use if needed. 

• The Tools for Instruction is a teacher resource that contains detailed information and instructional routines to help the teacher implement all foundational skills content effectively. Instructional Routines found in Tools for Instruction contain detailed information on routines.   

The teacher’s manual provides a weekly scope and sequence in addition to a detailed daily lesson plan. For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Sessions 1–5, the Teacher Guide contains a detailed scope and sequence followed by daily lesson plans referred to as sessions. The session plans are explicit and detailed. The plan provides instruction that tells the teacher what to say explicitly. The lesson supports the teacher with a useful check for understanding annotation that contains a scaffold to use if needed.

• In Unit 6, Week 2, Sessions 1–5, Weekly Planner, the weekly planner includes daily plans and maps out each section of the program the teacher will be using with students. Session 5 information outlines the weekly assessment and the cumulative review. Each session contains the unit words, the standards being taught, and the materials the teacher will need for the week. 

The teacher resource contains detailed information and instructional routines that help the teacher to effectively implement all foundational skills content (i.e., phonological awareness, print concepts, letters, phonics, HFW, word analysis, decoding). For example:

• The Instructional Routines Guide, located in the front matter A40–47 and in the Program Implementation section of the digital Teacher Toolbox, introduces and defines the instructional routines found in the program. The routines include scripting for the specific skill being taught and routines for: 

  • Phonological Awareness

    • Recognize Letter Sounds Routine

    • Isolate Sounds Routine

    • Identify Sounds Routine

    • Blend Sounds Routine

    • Segment Sounds Rouitne

    • Delete Sounds Routine

    • Add Sounds Routine

    • Change Sounds Routine

  • High-Frequency Words

    • See and Say the Word Routine

    • Spell the Word Routine

    • Write the Word Routine

  • Phonics

    • Decoding Blend Words Routine

    • Encoding Spell It Routine 

  • Corrective Feedback

    • Decoding Corrective Feedback Routine

    • Encoding Corrective Feedback Routine

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Session 2, the Tools for Instruction resource provides the teacher with step-by-step instructional routines for each of the following: matching consonant letter and sounds, distinguishing upper and lower case letters, recognizing upper and lower case letters, recognizing rhyme, identifying initial phonemes, and matching consonant letters and sounds. 

• In Unit 4, lesson 18, Session 5, the Instructional Routines Guide includes an Identify Sounds Routine where the teacher models listening for the same middle sound in three words. The teacher applies the learning by having students listen for the sound. 

Any technology pieces included provide support and guidance for the teacher and do not create an additional layer of complication around the materials. For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 2, Session 1–4, the Weekly Planner includes an articulation video: Short Vowel a. This video is designed to ensure that the teacher knows how to correctly articulate and model the short vowel sound for /a/. The teacher-led interactive tutorial videos support teacher instruction and provide interactive practice for the following topics, Blend Syllable in Two-Syllable Words, Letter Learning: Aa, and Recognizing Rhyme.

• In Unit 6, Week 26, Sessions 1–4 Lesson Slides, materials provide Session 3 Slides in PowerPoint format. The slides have clear pictures, appealing visuals and are not cluttered. The slides include notes to remind the teacher of what they are doing or saying on each slide. The slides do not create an additional layer or complication for the teacher.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2b.

The materials include complete detailed adult-level explanations for each of the foundational skills. Materials are designed to provide the teacher with additional information to help them understand why the skills are important or to provide tips on how to meet the diverse student needs. Detailed examples of the grade-level skills concepts are provided to the teacher throughout the lesson as part of the explicit instruction format.

Complete, detailed adult-level explanations are provided for each foundational skill taught at the grade level. For example: 

• The Instructional Routines Guide defines phonological awareness as “an understanding that spoken words are made up of sounds. It states that phonological awareness lessons help children recognize and manipulate spoken sounds before learning to attach each sound to a grapheme or letter.” Foundational Skills Terms to Know defines the foundational skills words including, but not limited to, consonant blends, continuous sounds, phrasing and prefix. 

• In Unit 1, Week 4, Session 1, Teacher Guide, the materials state, “Identifying beginning sounds in spoken words builds children’s capacity to understand and retain letter-sounds. If letter-sound instruction is not “sticking,” double down on initial sound phonemic awareness.”

Detailed examples of the grade level foundational skill concepts are provided for the teacher. For example: 

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Session 1, the teacher models one recognizing letter sound example, and the students apply the skill with six different words. The teacher is told that having students listen for a phoneme and then introducing the grapheme helps students to understand the connection between a sound, and the letter that stands for the sound.  

• In Unit 1, Week 2, Session 2, Teacher Guide, the lesson includes detailed examples of the phonological awareness skills related to producing rhyme in the teach/model, apply, and check sections of the lesson.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2c.

The materials include content that can reasonably be completed within a regular school year, and the pacing allows for maximum student understanding. The program utilizes lesson plans that are research-based, including foundational concepts, such as phonological and phonemic awareness, alphabetic principles, phonics, and high-frequency words. The program materials have lessons and guidance for both whole group and small group. The session documents have multiple sections but do not have time frames for each section of phonological awareness; rather, materials note the total time of the entire session. Materials provide assessments to identify how small group lessons should be done, and what skills should be reinforced. Sessions are designed to be taught in a whole-group for 45 minutes. There are a total of six units with 30 weeks of instruction and five sessions in each week. 

Lesson plans utilize effective, research-based lesson plan design for early literacy instruction. For example: 

• In the Teacher Toolbox, Program Implementation Guide, the Instructional Routines provides a detailed explanation of the program design. The Teach, Model, and Apply model provides a structure and instructional routine for lessons on phonological awareness, phonics, high-frequency words, handwriting, and phonics.

• In Unit 2, Week 2, Session 2,  the teacher uses Sound Spelling and Articulation Cards so the students can name a picture of an apple and learn that the letter stands for the short /a/ sound. The teacher follows instruction to teach/apply the lesson that provides explicit instruction for students to identify the letter sound /a/ when heard at the beginning of a  word. Words include: am, bat, ax, an, mat, and odd. 

The effective lesson design structure includes both whole-group and small-group instruction. For example: 

• In Unit 1, Week 2, Session 2, materials provide instruction for whole group configuration and 45 minutes of instruction. In the lesson, the instructions point teachers toward the Alphabet Book as a resource for small-group instruction.

• In Unit 6 Week 30, Session 1, materials present lesson activities in a whole group, direct instruction format. Small group differentiation for the week includes 15 Interactive Tutorials designed to extend and reinforce prior instruction on components such as long Vowel u, e, compare short and long vowel sounds, long vowels, read words with short vowels, say short and long vowel sounds in words, and substitute middle vowel sounds to make words. 

The pacing of each component of daily lesson plans is clear and appropriate. For example: 

• In Program Implementation, the Flexible Pacing Options document states that the whole group instruction is meant to be 45 minutes for Sessions 1–4 with 10–15 minutes of small group instruction using Magnetic Readers. 

• In Unit 3, Week 14, Session 1, the pacing box at the top of the planner includes an option that includes 20 minutes of phonological awareness, phonics, and high-frequency word work, with 30 minutes of a read-aloud or read together concepts of print, and 45 minutes of letter formation work. 

The suggested amount of time and expectations for maximum student understanding of all foundational skill content (i.e., phonological awareness, print concepts, letters, phonics, HFW, word analysis, decoding) can reasonably be completed in one school year and should not require modifications. For example: 

• The How Magnetic Reading Foundation Works document states there are six units with 30 weeks of instruction (approximately 150 days).

• The Scope and Sequence shows pacing for all units across 30 weeks in concepts of print, letter recognition, phonological awareness, phonics, and letter formation. 

For those materials on the borderline (e.g., approximately 130 days on the low end or 200 days on the high end), evidence clearly explains how students would be able to master ALL the grade level standards within one school year. For example: 

• N/A

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2d.i. 

The materials provide a delineated sequence for phonological awareness skills to be taught within the year. The materials contain a clear evidence-based explanation for the expected hierarchy for teaching phonological awareness skills in the following progression found in the Introduction: rhyming, beginning sound isolation, blending compound words, onset rimes, individual phonemes, segmenting phonemes, and culminating with adding/substituting and deleting phonemes. The materials have a cohesive sequence of phonemic awareness instruction and practice to build toward students’ application of skills that build in complexity. 

Materials contain a clear, evidence-based explanation for the expected hierarchy for teaching phonological awareness skills. For example:

• In Welcome to Magnetic Reading Foundations, Introduction, Research Base, the research states that students learn to hear, identify and manipulate large word parts into syllables and onset-rime. The learning should focus on isolating, identifying, and manipulating individual phonemes. 

• The Magnetic Reading Foundations Research Rationale states the sequence includes large sound units such as syllables and onset-rime. The phonemic awareness skills begin with isolation, blending/segmenting tasks and then shifts into addition, deletion, and substitution tasks. Pages 6-8, explain the research supporting the program's approach to phonological awareness.   

• In Magnetic Reading Foundations Introduction, Research Base, the introduction briefly explains the research for teaching phonological awareness. Materials state, “Research has confirmed that the phoneme level is the most important that can be taught to the earliest readers (Brady 2020). Furthermore, the ability to identify and manipulate phonemes is an important precursor to decoding because it trains children to hear the words that correspond to sound spellings. (Wagner and Torgerson, 1987).” 

Materials contain a phonemic awareness sequence of instruction and practice based on the expected hierarchy. For example:

• The Scope and Sequence outlines the instructional sequence of the program. Based on the scope and sequence, students move in a logical progression from recognizing and counting words in a sentence, letter sounds, and rhyming in Week 1 to counting syllables and producing rhymes in Week two. 

• In Unit 1, Week 3, Session 1, the teacher follows a teach/model lesson designed to explain that each syllable in a word has a beat, “Some words have one syllable, while others have more than one.”  The Teacher models the word set and seven. Students practice by listening to six words and determining the number of syllables in each word: subject 2, sip 1, sunset 2, telephone 3, Sunday 2, and monkey 3.

• In Unit 2, Week 7, Session 1, the teacher uses the Segment Syllables routine to segment syllables in words using counters as they hear words such as office or lemonade. Students slide the counters as they divide syllables into natural speech parts for the words object, dinosaur, teacher, magnet, robin, company. 

• In Unit 3, Week 14, Session 3, the teacher models the Isolate Phonemes Routine to model how to isolate the first sound in the word quiz. The teacher repeats the steps to have students isolate the final sound in quiz and zip. Students use the Isolate Sounds Routine to listen for the first sound in the words zip, /z/ quit, /kw/ wag, /w/. 

• In Unit 5, Week 25, Session 3, the teacher uses the Delete Phonemes routine to model deleting the final sounds from words. Student use the routine to delete phonemes to say the words: bone − /n/ = bow soap − /p/ = sew rose − /z/ = row dose − /s/ = doe lope − /p/ = low slope − /p/ = slow

• In Unit 6, Week 27, Session 1, the teacher models blending the sounds in seed, /s/ /e/ /d/. The students practice the routine by listening to the sounds in a word and then stating the word. For example, /weeeek/, the word is week. Practice words that include the long e sound are as follows: /hw/ /e/ /l/,wheel; /l/ /e//d/ led; /s/ /e/ /k/ seek, /r/ /e/ /d/ reed; /j/ /k/ /e/ joke.

Materials have a cohesive sequence of phonemic awareness instruction based on the expected hierarchy to build toward students’ application of the skills. For example:

• In Scope and Sequence, Units 1–6, materials identify the phonemic awareness sequence for Kindergarten instruction. Based on this document, the sequence of instruction follows a research-based approach that begins with the component parts of the known word (segmenting the word into its phonemes), isolating a specific phoneme, deleting that phoneme, adding the new phoneme, and blending the phonemes together to say the new word.

  • Unit 1: Count Words in Sentences, Recognize Letter Sounds, Blend Onset and Rime, Recognize Rhyme, Count and Say Syllables, Produce Rhyme, Produce Alliteration, Segment Syllables.

  • Unit 2: Blend Syllables, Recognize Letter Sounds, Segment Onset and Rime, Segment Syllables, Recognize Letter Sounds

  • Unit 3: Segment Onset and Rime, Isolate Phonemes (Initial), Blend Onset and Rime, Isolate Initial/Medial/Final Phonemes, Identify Initial/Medial/Final Phonemes

  • Unit 4: Segment Onset and Rime, Identify Initial/Medial/Final Phonemes, Isolate Initial/Medial/Final Phonemes, Blend Phonemes, Segment Phonemes

  • Unit 5: Blend Phonemes, Isolate Medial/Final Phonemes, Segment Phonemes, Delete Final Phonemes, Add Initial/Final Phonemes, Substitute Initial/Final Phonemes.

  • Unit 6: Blend Phonemes, Isolate Phonemes (Initial, Medial), Segment Phonemes, Delete Phonemes Initial/Medial/Final, Add Initial/Medials Phonemes, Substitute Initial/Medial/Final Phonemes.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2d.ii. 

The materials provide a clear research based explanation for the instructional sequence of phonics skills that are taught. The scope and sequence of phonics instruction is based on high-utility patterns and/or common phonics generalizations. Phonics skills move from simple to complex.

Materials clearly delineate a scope and sequence with a cohesive, intentional sequence of phonics instruction and practice to build toward the application of skills. For example: 

• Unit 1—Week 1: Mm, Tt; Week 2: Aa; Week 3: Ss, Bb; Week 4: Ii; Week 5 Ff, Hh

• Unit 2—Week 6: Pp, Cc; Week 7: Oo; Week 8: Kk, Nn; Week 9: Rr, Dd; Week 10, Ee

• Unit 3—Week 11: Ll, Gg; Week 12: Jj, Ww; Week 13: Uu; Week 14: Qq, Zz; Week 15: Vv, Xx,Yy

• Unit 4—Week 16: Short a; Week 17: Short i; Week 18: Short o; Week 19: Short e; Week 20: Short u

• Unit 5—Week 21: Digraph -ck; Week 22: Final -ss, -ll, -ff, zz; Week 23: Long a: a_e; Week 24: Long i: i_e; Week 25: Long o: o_e.

• Unit 6—Week 26: Long u:u_e; Week 27: Long e: ee, e_e; Week 28: Review Short and Long a, Review Short and Long i; Week 29: Review Short and Long o, Review Short and Long u; Week 30: Review Short and Long e, Review Sound-Spellings.

Materials have a clear research-based explanation for the order of the phonics sequence. For example:

• The Magnetic Reading Foundations Research Rationale states that some letters are easier for students to learn than others and that some letters are ordered according to the highest utility; however, letters that are commonly confused are not taught in the same week.

• The Magnetic Reading Foundations K–2 phonics scope and sequence begins with letter recognition, in which students are steeped in letter learning and heavily scaffolded into decoding words with the simplest sound spellings, such as short vowels, progresses through consonant digraphs, and advances into more complex sound spellings, like blends and vowel teams (Guthrie & Seifert, 1977; Pirani-McGurl, 2009). Students then learn spelling patterns that help them recognize larger, distinct representations of spoken sounds. This helps students develop their word attack skills for decoding multisyllabic words and use knowledge of spelling patterns to accurately encode, or write, the combination of letters to represent the sounds they hear in spoken words (Ehri, 2020; National Reading Panel, 2000; Petscher et al., 2020).

Phonics instruction is based in high utility patterns and/or common phonics generalizations. For example:

• In Grade K, the first half of the year’s phonics scope and sequence is devoted to the alphabet, and the guiding systems of the sequence are ease of acquisition and utility. Some letters are easier for students to learn than others. For example, letter names that contain the sound they make (e.g., t, s, m) are easier than letters that do not (e.g., h, w) and come earlier in the sequence (Treiman & Kessler, 2003). Letters are also ordered according to the highest utility, though in some cases letters were chosen so commonly confused letters are not taught in the same week (e.g., k, g). Because the first half of Grade K includes scaffolded word blending and decoding, high utility was a priority for maximizing sound-spelling combinations that would yield CV and CVC words. This not only allows children to practice and apply blending and decoding with a large number of words but also allows for systematic review of all previously taught letters. 

• In the second half of Grade K, the overall pattern of the Magnetic Reading Foundations phonics scope and sequence begins to emerge: short vowel sounds in CV and CVC words, ending consonant doublets and one consonant digraph, then CVCe long vowels. This overview shows a systematic approach to the principles mentioned on the previous page in several ways. First, it begins with the simplest concept of short vowel sounds and builds to the concept of consonant doublets (e.g., tap, tub, bit, to hiss, jazz), end consonant digraph -ck (e.g., hack, luck, tick), and then progresses to long vowels (e.g., tape, tube, bite). It also shows that the ordering of concepts and layering of new skills gives students time to apply and practice newly learned skills. When students learn consonant doublets and consonant digraph -ck, they are practicing and applying short vowel patterns. Finally, consonant digraph -ck is a standalone high-utility skill that gives students access to many words, which enhances students’ reading experience. 

Patterns and generalizations are carefully selected to provide a meaningful and manageable number of phonics patterns and common generalizations for students to learn deeply. For example: 

• The Teacher Guide includes the Scope and Sequence. The materials introduce the sounds of 26 letters of the alphabet in the first three units (Weeks 1–15). Unit 4 (Weeks 16–20) focuses on the short sound of vowels within single-syllable words. Unit 5 (Weeks 21–25) includes the digraph -ck, the final sounds of -ss, -ff, -aa, and the long vowel sounds. Finally, Unit 6 (Weeks 26–30) continues to focus on the phonics skills related to long and short vowel sounds.

• The Teacher Guide explains the Structure of a Week. The program follows a predictable, five-session structure systematically designed to introduce a new phonics skill in the first session. In Session 2, students practice and extend what was introduced in Session 1 and review skills from the previous week. In Session 3, the teacher introduces a new phonics skill. In Session 4, students practice the new skill and review previous phonics skills. In Session 5, students complete an individual assessment. If a student has not mastered a skill, materials provide instructional guidance on next steps for teacher use.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2f.i.

The materials include a variety of decodable texts that contain grade-level phonics skills aligned to the program’s scope and sequence to address securing phonics. Each week students read a decodable text designed to provide practice securing current and previously learned phonics skills. Materials include detailed lesson plans for repeated readings of decodable texts to address securing phonics skills. Units 1–3 include a Duet Passage for each target sound-spelling, and student lines contain previously and newly taught decodable sound-spellings. Units 4–6 contain a Connected Text passage for each target sound spelling with decodable words. Units 4–6 also include a Magnetic Reader for each week with detailed four-part lesson plans that include multiple readings in Sessions 2 and 4. 

Materials include decodable texts to address securing phonics. For example:

• In Unit 2, Week 9, Session 2, the teacher and students read the Letter Rr Duet Passage. The teacher reads aloud the blue lines that contain more advanced sound spellings, and the students read the decodable white lines, which contain previously taught and newly taught sound-spellings. 

• In Unit 5, Week 21, Session 2, students practice previously learned phonics skills and the newly learned digraph, -ck. Students practice with the words ducks, peck, and quack and read the Decodable text “Six Ducks” in unison with the teacher.

Decodable texts contain grade-level phonics skills aligned to the program’s scope and sequence. For example: 

• In Unit 1, Week 4, Session 2, the teacher and students read the Letter Ii Duet Passage, which contains decodable words for students that include the previously-taught sounds /b/, /s/, /t/, and /a/, and the newly taught short i sound. 

• In Unit 5, Week 25, Session 2, students read the Connected Text, “Fun Joke Time,” which contains previously-taught sound-spellings and Super Words and the target sound spelling o_e. 

Materials include detailed lesson plans for repeated readings of decodable texts to address securing phonics skills. For example: 

• In Unit 1, Week 16, Session 2, students read the decodable text, “Get It!” Students first read the passage in unison and reread the text with a partner or independently. 

• In Unit 6, Week 28, Sessions 1–4, students read the decodable text, “When It Rains.” Students first read the text in unison and reread the text with a partner or independently.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2f.ii.

The materials include decodable texts that utilize grade-level high-frequency and irregularly spelled words that are aligned to the scope and sequence. In addition, the lesson materials include lesson plans to teach and review previously taught high-frequency and irregularly spelled words. Once high-frequency words are introduced in Unit 4, each week contains two Connected Text passages that contain the week’s high-frequency words. In Units 4–6, all weeks also include a Magnetic Reader that contains the week’s high-frequency words with detailed four-part lesson plans that include multiple readings. 

Materials include decodable texts that utilize high-frequency/irregularly spelled words. For example: 

• In Unit 5, Week 21, Session 2, students read the decodable text “Six Ducks,” which has Super Words are, have, one, and with. 

• In Unit 6, Week 28, Session 4, students read the decoable text passage, “Tim in His Rig,” which includes the Super Words more, other, people, and your. 

Decodable texts contain grade-level high-frequency/irregularly spelled words aligned to the program’s scope and sequence. For example:

• In Unit 4, Week 16, Session 2, students read the decodable text “Get It,” which includes the newly taught high frequency words he and she. 

• In Unit 6, Week 30, Session 2, Short and Long e, students read the decoable text passage, “Reed Makes a Pal,” which includes the Super Words down, how, now, and which.

Materials include detailed lesson plans for repeated readings of decodable texts to address securing reading high-frequency words/irregularly spelled words in context. For example:

• In Unit 3, Week 13, Session 2, in the Letter Uu Duet Passage, Word by Word Pointing includes detailed lesson plans to address the high frequency and irregularly spelled words and and to. First, students read words found in the passage. Next, students read the passage with the teacher. Then, students read the text aloud a few times while pointing to each word in the sentence.

• In Unit 5, Week 21, Session 2, students read the decodable text “Hot Sun,” which contains the high-frequency words are, have, one, and with. In Session 4, students read the decodable text “Rick and Bub.” The decodable contains high-frequency words are, have, one, and with.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2g.i. (K-1)

The materials regularly and systematically provide a variety of assessment opportunities over the course of the year to demonstrate students’ progress toward mastery and independence of print concepts, letter recognition, and letter formation through weekly and formative assessments. Teachers have opportunities to formatively assess students using workbook practice pages and additional opportunities with the weekly assessments provided in the materials. Assessment materials provide teachers and students with information concerning students’ current skills/level of understanding of print concepts, letter recognition, and letter formation. The assessment materials also provide information on the next steps for students based on the assessment results.

Materials regularly and systematically provide a variety of assessment opportunities over the course of the year to demonstrate students’ progress toward mastery and independence of print concepts, letter recognition, and letter formation. For example: 

• In Unit 1, Week 2, Session 2, the Concept of Print lesson directs the teacher to informally check to see that students can demonstrate the current skills being introduced and practice during each Apply section of a lesson. For example, in student workbooks, students draw a line under each space between words, identify and form letters, and show that they recognize where each word ends. 

• In Unit 2 Assessment, Weeks 6–10, the teacher uses the story Alphabet Takes to have students identify the number of words in the sentence, identify and form letters, point to upper and lower case letters, and point to each word as the teacher reads. 

• In Unit 6, Week 25, Session 2, lessons direct the teacher to informally check to see that students can demonstrate the current skills being introduced and practice during each Apply section of a lesson. For example, the teacher dictates the words dune, cube, and the sentence I will use this pen. Students also practice letter formation on workbook page 201.

Assessment materials provide teachers and students with information concerning students’ current skills/level of understanding of print concepts, letter recognition, and letter formation. For example: 

• In Unit 1, Week 5, Sessions 1–5, the Assessment form is designed to provide information on the current levels of understanding in print concepts, letter recognition, and letter formation presented In Unit 1 over the course of Weeks 1–5. The teacher assesses the whole class in Parts 1, Connect Letters and Sounds, and Write Letter sections. The teacher individually assesses students as they identify letters, form letters, read a Duet Passage, and identify concepts of print in context.

• In Unit 1, Week 5, Sessions 1–5, the Weekly Assessment Tracker found in the Teacher Guide is designed to provide the teacher with a means to track current levels of understanding in print concepts, letter recognition, and letter formation presented In Unit 1 and record student errors. The Weekly Assessment Tracker includes two parts: Part 1— Target Sound Spelling, a whole class assessment, and Part 2— Letters, an individual assessment.

Materials support teachers with instructional suggestions for assessment-based steps to help students to progress toward mastery in print concepts, letter recognition, and letter formation. For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Sessions 1–5, the Assessment Week contains instructional next steps and guidance for teachers to respond to students needing additional support with the Sound-Spelling and Articulation Cards that are used to “reteach upper and lowercase forms of the letters students’ were unable to identify.”

• In Toolbox Assessment, the Weekly Planner includes an Instructional Next Steps section. The teacher models how to identify the front and back of a book, and the top and bottom of a page, along with how to identify words, the spaces between words, and sentences.  

• In Unit 2, Assessment, guidance states if students are not able to demonstrate mastery of the concepts of print, students should practice these skills again during read-alouds and while reading connected text. The teacher models identifying a sentence, the number of words in a sentence, writing letters, and identifying the upper and lowercase letters and words.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2g.ii. 

The materials provide weekly unit and formative assessment checks to evaluate and monitor student progress toward the development of mastery and independence in phonological awareness. The assessment materials support teachers with instructional suggestions for assessment-based steps to help students to progress toward mastery in phonological awareness. Additionally, the assessment materials provide information on students' current skills/level of understanding of phonological awareness. 

Materials regularly and systematically provide a variety of assessment opportunities over the course of the year to demonstrate students’ progress toward mastery and independence in phonological awareness. For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 6, Session 5, the teacher assesses students’ mastery and independence toward phonological awareness (blend, segment, and identify phonemes).

• In Unit 3, Week 11, Session 4, the teacher administers a check assessment where students say the onset as they tap their left pointer finger on the table. Then students say the rime and tap their right pointer finger on the table. Students slide their pointer fingers together on the table as they say the word. 

• In Unit 4, Week 19, Session 4, the teacher administers an individual assessment to have children isolate phonemes. The teacher explains they are going to say a word, and the student will say the middle sound in the word. Then students say the first sound they hear in the word. 

Assessment materials provide teachers and students with information concerning students’ current skills/level of understanding of phonological awareness. For example:

• The Weekly Assessment Tracker is designed to provide current levels of understanding in phonological awareness. The materials indicate that to score the Individual Assessment, which includes the phonological awareness assessment items, the teacher should use the corresponding Weekly or Unit Assessment Tracker to record both the number of items answered correctly and the specific errors a student makes. 

• The Program Implementation Guide includes ongoing opportunities to monitor student progress. The materials outline formative assessment opportunities to provide current levels of understanding in phonological awareness, These opportunities include checks within the daily lesson plans, and the materials indicate that these checks allow a teacher to note which students were unable to perform the lesson objective, then do a quick reteach on the spot or reteach in a small-group lesson. 

Materials support teachers with instructional suggestions for assessment-based steps to help students to progress toward mastery in phonological awareness. For example:

• In Unit 2, Week 6, Session 4, the Following the Assessment section includes teacher guidance and next steps for the whole-class and individual assessment. In Part 3, if students were not able to blend the syllables in a word, segment onset and rime, recognize the initial sound of a single syllable word, blend compound words, segment syllables, or recognize alliterative words, materials provide the teacher with additional explicit  interactive practice.

• In Unit 3, Week 14, Session 1–4, in the Instructional Next Steps section following the lesson, the teacher completes a formative assessment located in the Check. If a teacher notes that children cannot identify initial sounds in single-syllable words, guidance prompts the teacher to reteach the prerequisite skills of isolating the initial sounds in the words and guide students to “...tap their desks as they repeat the first sound of each word before saying each one in its entirety.”

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2g.iii.

The materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that measure student progress in word recognition and analysis as indicated by the program scope and sequence. The materials provide phonics assessment materials and tools that include scoring and recording sheets to collect ongoing data about student progress in phonics. The materials help teachers determine student progress through the systematic implementation of the assessments. Materials include unit assessments, weekly assessments, and daily checks for understanding. The materials instruct teachers in scoring assessment results, and each assessment includes an Instructional Next Steps section that indicates the next steps if a student consistently makes errors in assessed phonics skills. 

Materials provide resources and tools to collect ongoing data about students’ progress in phonics. For example:

• The teacher and student materials include Unit and Weekly Assessments containing phonics skills assessment items for all weeks of Units 1–6, static and editable Unit and Weekly Assessment Trackers, and a Scoring Guide. 

• In Unit 3, Week 15, Session 5, after administering the Letter Yy Unit Assessment, the teacher uses the answer key and the Assessment Tracker to record students’ progress data in phonics.

Materials offer assessment opportunities to determine students’ progress in phonics that are implemented systematically. For example:

• The Unit and Weekly Assessments progress in complexity from Units 1 through Unit 6. Assessments begin with sound/letter correspondence, then progress to encoding and decoding words in isolation, then to decoding words in connected text.  

• In Unit 3, Week 14, Session 5, during the Letters Qq, Zz Weekly Assessment, students connect letters to sounds in the Whole-Class Assessment, Part I. During the Individual Assessment, students segment onset and rime, isolate and identify, as well as decode CVC words. The teacher records student data on the Assessment Tracker.

Multiple assessment opportunities are provided regularly for students to demonstrate progress toward mastery and independence with phonics. For example:

• In Unit 4, Week 16, Session 1, materials include a formative assessment designed to identify students who are not able to demonstrate the ability to blend and decode short a words containing -a, -ap, and -at.

• In Unit 6, Week 29, Session 1, materials include a check during which the teacher evaluates if students can blend and decode short and long o words. 

Assessment materials provide teachers and students with information that students’ current skills/level of understanding of phonics. For example:

• The Weekly Assessment Tracker is designed to provide information on current levels of understanding in phonics. The materials instruct teachers how to use weekly and unit assessment trackers to score assessments and determine the next steps. 

• In Unit 2, Week 6, Session 5, during the Letters Pp, Cc Weekly Assessment, the teacher records student data using the Weeks 1–10 Grade K Weekly Assessment Tracker. The tracker provides the teacher with information designed to track and monitor each student’s current skills/level of phonics understanding. 

Materials genuinely measure students’ progress to support teachers with instructional adjustments to help students make progress toward mastery in phonics. For example:

• In Program Implementation, Assessment Resources, Scoring Guidelines, the materials outline instructional next steps that correspond to the different phonics assessment items: 

  • If a student encodes the wrong sound in Units 1–3, the materials instruct the teacher to provide additional instruction with the Sound Spelling and Articulation cards, showing the letter, saying the sound, and asking students to repeat the sound. 

  • If a student substitutes an incorrect letter for a given sound in the Encoding Sound Spellings and Encoding Target Words assessment items in Units 4–6, the materials instruct the teacher to look for patterns across Parts 1, 2, and 4 of the assessment, then to provide additional instruction in any sound-spellings with a pattern of errors across items. 

  • If a student consistently makes errors with target sound-spellings when reading connected text items, the materials instruct teachers to compare results with assessment parts 1 and 2, in which students encode target sound-spellings. If a pattern emerges, the materials instruct teachers to reteach the target sound-spelling with which a student is struggling. The materials also suggest randomly displaying Word Building Cards and asking students to say the sound for each letter or letters on the card.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2g.iv.

The materials include checks for understanding within the lessons, weekly formative assessments, and unit summative assessments that measure student progress in word recognition (high-frequency words or irregularly spelled words) and analysis throughout the year. Units 1–3 include an optional unit assessment in which students read a Duet Passage. The materials indicate that these assessments are to be used at the teacher’s discretion because students should not yet be expected to have mastered this skill. Weekly assessments in Units 1–3 also include optional word reading assessments to be used at the teacher’s discretion. Units 4–6 include a Read Connected Text unit assessment which measures students’ ability to decode known sound-spellings and to read high-frequency words. Weekly assessments in Units 4–6 also include Read Connected Text assessments. The assessment materials then provide teachers with instructional steps designed to provide reteaching lessons and strategies designed to help ensure all students master word recognition and word analysis skills.

Materials regularly and systematically provide a variety of assessment opportunities over the course of the year to demonstrate students’ progress toward mastery and independence of word recognition (high-frequency words or irregularly spelled words) and analysis. For example:

• In Unit 3, Week 11, Session 5, as part of the Letter Gg, Part 3: Spell High Frequency Words weekly assessment, students demonstrate their progress toward word recognition, analysis, and independence with word recognition by spelling the and a.

• In Unit 4 Assessment, Weeks 16–20, students read aloud a connected text passage that contains 2–4 high-frequency words and 20–21 words with the unit’s target sound-spellings, depending on the passage selected.  The teacher records any errors using the Assessment Tracker.  

• In Unit 6, Week 29, Session 5, during the Weekly Assessment, each student reads two sentences that each contain one high-frequency word and one or two target sound-spellings from the week. The teacher records any errors using the Assessment Tracker. 

Assessment materials provide teachers and students with information concerning students’ current skills/level of understanding of word recognition and word analysis. For example:

• In Program Implementation, Assessment Resources, Scoring Guidelines, the materials instruct teachers how to use the weekly and unit assessment trackers to score assessments and determine next steps. For the individual word recognition and word analysis assessments, if students miss two or more items in any category, the materials instruct the teacher to consult the corresponding Instructional Next Steps. 

• In Unit 3, Week 15, Session 5, the Letter Yy, Part 5, Read Duet Passage is an optional portion of the Unit assessment designed to provide the teacher with information related to each student’s current level of word recognition and word analysis skills.  

Materials support teachers with instructional suggestions for assessment-based steps to help students to progress toward mastery in word recognition and word analysis. For example:

• In Unit 4, Assessment, Weeks 16–20, the materials outline instructional next steps based on the Read Connected Text assessment results. If students consistently made errors across target sound-spellings and high-frequency words, the materials instruct that students should choose a Magnetic Reader from the unit to reread for practice. The materials instruct the teacher to listen as the student reads aloud and to give corrective feedback using Fix-Up Strategies, including Confirm or Correct Word Recognition or Read More Slowly. 

• In Unit 5 Assessment, Weeks 21–25, the materials outline instructional next steps based on the Read Connected Text assessment results. If students consistently made errors with target sound-spellings, the materials instruct teachers to compare results with assessment Parts 1 and 2, in which students encode target sound-spellings. If a pattern emerges, the materials instruct teachers to reteach the target sound-spelling with which a student is struggling. The materials also suggest randomly displaying Word Building Cards and asking students to say the sound for each letter or letters on the card.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2h.

The materials include standards alignment resources for both formative and summative assessments inclusive of tasks, questions, and assessment items along with specific standards covered in lessons. The materials include two Standards Correlation documents. One document outlines where in the program each standard is addressed, by unit and page number. The other document breaks down each item on the weekly and unit assessments by standard addressed. Additionally, the weekly materials include a list of standards addressed in the week’s lessons. While these embedded standards lists do not provide a breakdown of individual activities and tasks aligned to specific standards, that level of detail can be found in the Standards Correlation Lesson document by cross-referencing unit and page number. 

Materials include denotations of the standards being assessed in the formative assessments. For example:

• In Program Implementation, Standards Correlations, Weekly and Unit Assessments, the materials provide a Standards Correlation chart that shows the CCSS standard that corresponds to each assessment item in the weekly formative assessments.   

• In Unit 1, Week 3, Session 1, the lesson plan lists the standards at the bottom of the page. The formative assessment check aligns to standard RF.K.3a.

• In Unit 3, Week 12, Session 5, during the weekly assessment, students connect letters to sounds for Jj and Ww. The assessment lists standard RF.K.3a at the bottom of the document. 

Materials include denotations of standards being assessed in the summative assessments. For example:

• In Program Implementation, Standards Correlations, Weekly and Unit Assessments, the materials provide a Standards Correlation chart that shows the CCSS standard that corresponds to each assessment item in the summative unit assessments.  

• In Unit 5, Unit Assessment, the Standards Correlation chart indicates that Part 1 of the assessment correlates with standard RF.K.3b, “Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.” The assessment items require students to record the letter that matches a sound said aloud, including the vowels o, a, and i. 

Alignment documentation is provided for all tasks, questions, and assessment items. For example:

• In Program Implementation, Standards Correlations, Weekly and Unit Assessments, the materials provide a Standards Correlation chart that shows the CCSS standard that corresponds to each assessment item in the weekly and unit assessments.  

• The Instructional Materials include a list of standards addressed in the week’s lesson in the Weekly Planner and as a drop-down menu attached to the Teacher Lessons, Student Workbook, and other weekly materials. Specific standard correlation to activities and tasks is outlined by page number in the Standards Correlations: Lessons document in Program Implementation. 

Alignment documentation contains specific standards correlated to specific lessons. For example:

• In Program Implementation, Standards Correlations: Lessons, the materials provide a Standards Correlation chart that shows the CCSS standard that corresponds to each lesson. This document is organized by standard and provides the unit a page number for lessons that correspond to the standard. 

• In Unit 2, Week 9, Sessions 1–4, the standards listed for the lesson include RF.K.1a, RF.K.1c, RF.K.1d, RF.K.2c, RF.K.2, RF.K.3a, RF.K.3b, L.K.1a, and L.K.2c.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2i.i.

The materials provide regular support for students who read, write, speak, or listen in a language other than English. The Program Implementation materials provide an overview of supports and the rationale as well as a Language Transfer Chart for sounds and sound-spellings in five languages (Spanish, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Arabic, and Haitian Creole). Within the lessons, materials preview specific supports for each session of each week in the Weekly Planner and Unit Overview. Materials embed support strategies and examples specific to activities and tasks in the lesson plans. 

Materials provide support for English Language Learner (ELL) students. For example:

• The Program Implementation Guide includes English Learner materials. It includes the Universal Design for the Learning approach of the curriculum, and explains how this design benefits all students. The document includes a chart of Strategies and Scaffolds for English Learners that outlines the program’s types of support, related strategies, and examples from lessons. Supports include identifying sound and sound-spelling transfers, using visual and aural supports, using kinesthetics and rhythms, leveraging home languages, explaining idioms and expressions, analyzing words, and partnering.

• The Program Implementation Guide includes a Language Transfers Chart. The chart compares English sounds and sound-spellings in the top five home languages spoken in the United States: Spanish, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Arabic, and Haitian Creole. The materials instruct teachers to point out existing transfers and to use EL support strategies in the lessons where transfer does not exist.  

General statements about ELL students or strategies are noted at the beginning of a unit or at one place in the Teacher Edition and are implemented by the materials throughout the lessons. For example:

• The Teacher Guide provides a detailed overview of the Universal Design for Learning which indicates strategies and scaffolds for English Learners. Materials embed supports designed to support foundational skills learned at the first encounter with the text. Materials provide point of use supports to help English Language Learners acquire grade-level phonological awareness, phonics, and reading skills. 

• In Unit 4, Week 19, Weekly Planner, the Weekly Planner outlines specific English Learner Supports for Sessions 1–5, including identifying sound transfers, visual supports, vocabulary supports, kinesthetic support, and partnering. Lesson materials include English Learner symbols that identify sections that provide teacher guidance on implementing support strategies specific to the lesson or task. 

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2i.ii.

The materials provide regular support for differentiation and reteaching to  students needing additional support. The Program Implementation resources offer guidance to teachers for scaffolding and adapting lessons and activities to support students who read, write, speak, or listen below grade level in opportunities to learn foundational skills at the grade-level standards. The Program Implementation resources include an Instructional Routines document that outlines specific strategies for adapting lessons to support all learners. Within the Classroom Materials, a Small-Group Differentiation section offers reteaching lessons in the skills addressed each week. Teacher lesson plans also include formative checks, which offer reteaching strategies. Each week’s Weekly Planner instructs teachers to use assessment data to support students in need of reteaching and points teachers to the location of Instructional Routines and Instructional Next Steps. 

Materials provide opportunities for small group reteaching. For example:

• The Program Implementation includes a Flexible Pacing Options Guide. The  materials outline options for implementing small-group instruction when needed. The document indicates teachers should prioritize small-group instruction if there is a large variation in children’s skill proficiency. The materials instruct teachers to vary the frequency with which they meet with different small groups, meeting more frequently with students who would benefit from reteaching. The document indicates that Session 5 can be used weekly for reteaching and assessment. It also provides sample small-group pacing schedules to incorporate small-group teaching and information on using digital resources, alphabet books, and magnetic readers in small-group instruction. 

• Materials include Small-Group Differentiation each week. The Tools for Instruction section provides small-group reteaching lessons for the specific skills taught that week. Each plan includes step-by-step directions for teachers and suggested modifications for instruction if the teacher observes specific student errors. 

Materials provide guidance to teachers for scaffolding and adapting lessons and activities to support students who read, write, speak, or listen below grade level in extensive opportunities to learn foundational skills at the grade-level standards. For example:

• In Program Implementation, the Instructional Routines Guide includes an Options for Differentiation box for each instructional routine. The Options for Differentiation provide guidance on how to differentiate specific activities and tasks, including adding manipulatives, visuals, and movement; incorporating games; using Sound Spelling and Articulation and Word Building cards; and teaching and sharing tools for learning and self-checking, including sound-spelling and articulation cards. Each week’s Weekly Planner instructs teachers to use assessment data from the previous week to plan modifications and review the support for learner variability in the Instructional Routines to support students. 

• In Unit 4, Week 17, Session 2, the formative assessment check is designed to determine whether students can isolate medial short i in single-syllable words based on the preceding isolating sounds routine. If not, the materials instruct teachers to provide three counters for each student, then guide students to segment the lesson words using the counters. The teacher extends the medial sound while segmenting, then asks students to identify the medial sound. 

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2i.iii.

The Magnetic Reading Foundations Kindergarten materials provide opportunities for students to have advanced using a challenge set for students. The Program Implementation materials offer pacing suggestions for incorporating increased small-group instruction for classes with a large variation in proficiency. Program Implementation materials include Options for Differentiation for recurring instructional routines, which include some challenge options in Units 4 through 6. Classroom Resources includes small-group instruction supports for above-level students.

Materials provide multiple opportunities for advanced students to investigate grade-level foundational skills at a greater depth. For example:

• The Small Group Differentiation section included in the Tools for Instruction provides small-group lessons for the specific skills taught that week. Tools for Instruction lessons include a range of content, allowing use for extension lessons for students working above grade level. Instructional Routines include an Options for Differentiation box for each instructional routine. These provide guidance to differentiate specific activities and tasks, including adding manipulatives, visuals, and movement and incorporating games.

• In Unit 6, Week 27, the Tools for Instruction features Small-Group Differentiation lessons for long vowel words with final e include lesson options using more advanced sound-spellings, including blends and digraphs, r-influenced vowels, and words with soft c and g. 

There are no instances of advanced students simply doing more assignments than their classmates. For example:

• In Unit 4, Week 16, Extension Session, materials provide advanced opportunities to read the Magnetic Reader,“The Shop.” Students engage in comprehension activities, respond to a writing prompt, and create an illustration.

• In Unit 6, Week 26, Extension Session, materials provide advanced opportunities to read the Magnetic Reader, “In the Sun.” Students engage in comprehension activities, respond to a writing prompt, and create an illustration.