2nd Grade - Gateway 1

The instructional materials for Grade 2 meet the expectation that anchor texts (including read-aloud texts in K-2 and shared reading texts in Grade 2 used to build knowledge and vocabulary) are of publishable quality and worthy of especially careful reading/listening and consider a range of student interests. It is clear that the majority of the texts are of publishable quality. Domain 1 consists of fairy tales and tall tales. Included in Domain 1 are “The Fisherman and his Wife,” “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” and “Beauty and the Beast.” Other domains have some texts that are published, such as in Domain 2, where the famous folktale, “The Tiger, the Brahman, and the Jackal” is included. Domain 4 contains famous Greek myths, including “Prometheus and Pandora,” “Arachne the Weaver,” and “Daedalus and Icarus.”

In other domains, it is not clear that the texts have been previously published, but the content is rich. The texts are of publishable quality and include topics interesting to students at Grade 2. For example, in Domain 3, according to CKLA, “Students will learn about the gods and goddesses of the ancient Greeks, the city-states of Sparta and Athens, and the philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. They will learn about the first Olympic Games held in honor of Zeus, the significance of the battles of Marathon and Thermopylae, and the conquests of Alexander the Great” (page 2). In Domain 5, the topic focuses on the War of 1812, and again the content is complex, the vocabulary is rich, and the images and illustrations are accurate. It should be noted that there are no acknowledgements or references available for the writers or for the development of the information.

While some texts do not appear to be previously published, they do appear to be of publishable quality due to the engaging vocabulary in each of the texts. Some examples of these texts include “Broad Stripes and Bright Stars” (Domain 5, Lesson 6), “The Trail of Tears” (Domain 7, Lesson 5), and “A Mosaic of Immigrants” (Domain 11, Lesson 7). Vocabulary words are defined within the texts to help students better understand the content.

The instructional materials for Grade 2 meet the expectations that texts reflect the distribution of text types and genres required by the standards. There are a variety of text types and genres including literature, literary nonfiction, informational texts, folktales, and poems in the Grade 2 domains. Each domain is organized around a topic, and the read-aloud texts within the domains include literature and informational texts; most of them contain informational texts. Some domains are specifically literary or informational. It should be noted, however, that the last six domains contain all informational texts. Of the 12 domains, only two are dedicated to literary/fictional topics. Of the 95 texts in this series, only 21 are literary.

Domain 1 covers fairy tales and tall tales. Domain 4 is dedicated to Greek myths. The rest of the domains are focused on either a science topic or a social studies topic, although some of the domains include literary texts and informational texts. For example, while the majority of Domains 2, 3, and 6 contain informational texts, some literary texts are found in those domains. Other domains contain only informational text, including Domains 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. There is not an equal distribution of literary and informational in the Grade 2 curriculum. It should be noted that according to the K-2 Program Guide, “The amount of nonfiction gradually increases, reaching the 50-50 balance of fiction and nonfiction by third grade.” The Program Guide also states that the balance is achieved throughout the day, not just in the language arts block, and teachers should have students read literature and informational texts in all subjects.

Below is each domain with the text types within:

• Domain 1: Fairy Tales and Tall Tales
  • This domain contains 8 stories, including popular folktales such as “The Fisherman and His Wife” and “Beauty and the Beast” and folktales such as “Paul Bunyan” and “Pecos Bill.”
• Domain 2: Early Asian Civilizations
  • This domain contains 3 stories, including “The Tiger, the Brahman, and the Jackal” and “The Blind Men and the Elephant.” It contains 11 informational texts about ancient China and India, including original fiction from ancient India.
• Domain 3: The Ancient Greek Civilizations
  • This domain contains 3 literary texts, including one about a boy who lived in Sparta and how on his seventh birthday, his life changed forever. There are 9 informational texts.
• Domain 4: Greek Myths
  • This domain contains 10 literary texts, including “The Twelve Gods of Mount Olympus” and “Theseus and the Minotaur.”
• Domain 5: The War of 1812
  • This domain has 8 informational texts, including literary nonfiction such as a story of a grandfather telling his grandchildren about the War of 1812.
• Domain 6: Cycles in Nature
  • This domain has 1 poem and 8 informational texts such as “The Reasons for Seasons” and “The Water Cycle.”
• Domain 7: Westward Expansion
  • This domain has 9 informational texts, including a journal entry.
• Domain 8: Insects
  • This domain contains 8 informational texts. “Each of the read-alouds in this domain is narrated by a different character. Lessons 1 through 7 are narrated by an insect character, and Lesson 8 is narrated by an entomologist” (page 2).
• Domain 9: The U.S. Civil War
  • This domain has 11 informational texts, including “Abraham Lincoln” and “Clara Barton.”
• Domain 10: Human Body: Building Blocks of Nutrition
  • This domain has 9 informational texts. A nutritionist character reinforces the basic facts students learn throughout the domain.
• Domain 11: Immigration
  • This domain has 10 informational texts, including “E Pluribus Unum” and “Gold Mountain.”
• Domain 12: Fighting for a Cause
  • This domain contains 9 informational texts such as “Mary McLeod Bethune: A Dedicated Teacher” and “Cesar Chavez: Protector of Workers’ Rights.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet expectations that texts (including read-aloud texts and some shared reading texts used to build knowledge and vocabulary) have the appropriate level of complexity according to quantitative analysis, qualitative analysis, and a relationship to their associated student task.

For example, in Domain 2, Lesson 8, the read-aloud text, “The Yellow and the Yangtze Rivers,” has a Lexile of 940. The knowledge demands are moderately to very complex, because students need to remember other rivers they have read about that support ancient cultures. There are many academic vocabulary words, but understanding of the words comes from the teacher questioning students or defining the word while reading the text.

One example of a read-aloud text being complex for Grade 2 students is in Domain 3, Lesson 5 “All for Sparta.” The Lexile is a 1070, and the qualitative features are very complex. The language features are very complex because of the complex sentences and the difficulty of identifying who is speaking at times in the text. The meaning is also very complex because the theme is implicit. There are supports built within the lesson, such as defining words in the text. For example, on page 69 it says, “The Spartans fought a long war of conquest against this city. That means they forcefully took over the city."

“Arachne, the Weaver” is a complex read-aloud text in Domain 4, Lesson 4, with a Lexile of 940. While the text structure is only slightly complex due to the single story line, the language features are moderately complex due to its complex vocabulary words. Many of the complex vocabulary words are defined or discussed. The knowledge demands are moderately complex, because the students need to have knowledge of other Greek myths and gods. The task for this story is for students in groups to create a tapestry that retells this story.

In Domain 5, Lesson 7, the read-aloud text, “The Battle After the War,” is also appropriately complex. It has a Lexile of 910, and the qualitative features are moderately to very complex. For example, the majority of the sentences are complex sentences with some archaic vocabulary words. Supports are provided throughout the lesson to help students complete the task of explaining why the War of 1812 is often called America’s second war for independence. One such support is using Flip Book images from Lesson 6 to help students remember the events in chronological order.

In Domain 6, Lesson 3, “Four Seasons in One Year” is also complex with a Lexile of 1000. There are complex sentences and complex vocabulary such as migrate, absorbed, and minimum, but these words are defined for students by the teacher. This text requires different knowledge demands, depending on where the student is located. If the student is familiar with the four seasons the text is less complex, compared to if the student is not familiar with the four seasons. However, the teacher's guide says that if this is the case, the teacher should show additional images of seasons that students may not know.

In Domain 7, Lesson 3, the read-aloud text, “The Journey of a Twelve-Year-Old on the Erie Canal” has a Lexile of 1250. However, the qualitative features are only slightly to moderately complex, making it accessible as a read aloud. The task is for students to compare and contrast the events described in the story with the lyrics of “The Erie Canal.”

Another example of a read-aloud text being appropriately complex for Grade 2 students is in Domain 8, Lesson 1, “Insects Everywhere!” The Lexile is 830, and the qualitative measures range from slightly to very complex. The language features are very complex: “Harder to spot is the tiny leafhopper, but this wedge-shaped insect can slow down the host plant’s growth, turning the plant brown as it sucks nutrition from it” (page 14). The task connected to this lesson is not text-dependent. However, the task’s complexity depends on the individual student since it asks the student to describe a past experience with an insect.

In Domain 10, Lesson 1, the read-aloud text, “The Amazing Human Body,” has a Lexile of 810. Similar to the read-aloud text in Domain 8, the language features in this text are very complex: “You can’t see them, but they tell your brain what is touching your skin, and your brain reacts to the touch. Some touches, like petting a dog, can be very positive, while others, like touching a hot stove, can be quite painful” (page 10). The task is to write an entry in the My Human Body Journal, which describes the five senses.

The very first read-aloud text of the instructional materials in Domain 1, Lesson 1, “The Fisherman and his Wife,” is not complex for students in Grade 2. The Lexile of 540 falls within the 2-3 grade band for students to read independently. This is not appropriate as a read-aloud. Fairy tales are introduced in the Kindergarten year of this program, so those who have received CKLA instruction since Kindergarten will engage with some prior knowledge.

Another example of a less complex read-aloud text is in Domain 2, Lesson 4. The read-aloud text, “The Tiger, the Brahman, and the Jackal,” has a Lexile of 670. In this read-aloud text, there are some complicated vocabulary words; however, the words are used frequently and defined often. In addition, similar to the text in Domain 1, this is also a folktale, so students who are accustomed to CKLA will be familiar with this text structure.

Another example of a read-aloud text having a low Lexile measure where students could read it on their own, especially toward the end of the year, is in Domain 12, Lesson 3. The text, “Eleanor Roosevelt: A Voice for Human Rights,” has a Lexile of 740. While the language features are very complex, the text structure and purpose are only moderately complex.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectations that the materials support students’ literacy skills over the course of the school year. The domains and units build upon each other with increasing demand and application as the students progress through each lesson throughout the year. In addition, the length and structures of the texts increase in complexity in Grade 2. By the end of the school year, the Readers are over 130 pages long.

In the Knowledge Strand, which has the anchor texts, the complexity of knowledge does increase significantly throughout the year. The beginning domains include folktales (a familiar genre for students), while later domains include more complicated and novel topics such as Greek myths. For example, in Domain 12, Lesson 3, there is a text with a Lexile of 740 (“Eleanor Roosevelt: A Voice for Human Rights”). This is the last domain of the year, and the majority of the other texts in the materials before this domain are more complex. Also, this complexity level is one that Grade 2 students could read on their own according to the Common Core Lexile Band for grades 2-3. Some of the read-alouds are below the complexity level for a read aloud, such as a Lexile of 540 in Domain 1 and a 670 Lexile in Domain 2. Each of the texts contain questions to help students become more proficient at comprehension, and there is a greater focus on evaluative and inferential questions rather than on literal questions.

The Skills Strand has more materials and opportunities to support students’ literacy skills. The first four units contain 100% decodable texts for students to read. Beginning in Unit 3, there are close reading lessons incorporated into the daily plans, with roughly one lesson per week. As the Teacher Guide states, the close reading lessons will intensify in each unit as the units progress. In Unit 5, the texts have a decrease in the number of individual words and spelling reviewed in isolation for decoding purposes before students read the story. This is to help students assume ever increasing responsibility and independence in reading texts. In addition, beginning in Unit 5, not all of the words in the story are decodable, providing appropriate challenge.

In most instances, the Skills Strand and the Knowledge Strand do not correlate to further help students develop independence of grade level skills; however in Unit 6, students read “The War of 1812,” which this topic was already covered in an earlier domain. This Reader also has a glossary which is a new text feature to help students with domain-specific vocabulary.

Some of the lessons also contain supports that will help students develop independence in grade level skills. One example of it occurs in Unit 4, Lesson 2, where the materials suggest that the teacher creates a chart in the classroom describing the text features and how to refer to it to better visualize the setting. In Unit 6, Lesson 3, it is suggested that the teacher ask probing questions about text features or information in the text that will help guide student thinking.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectations of most questions, tasks, and assignments being text-based. There are several places in each lesson that require students to answer using evidence from the text.

Examples in the materials that meet the indicator are the Check for Understanding questions which occur during the daily text and are also used the following day to review the text. These questions assure students understand the story on a literal basis and sometimes an evaluative basis. Some examples include:

• In Domain 7, Lesson 9, “With your partner, discuss how Westward Expansion in the United States affected the bison.”
• In Domain 10, Lesson 1, “Why did the author call the human body ‘the human machine’?”

In addition, each read aloud has an interactive component. In the read-alouds there are suggested stopping places for each image projected with questions either about the image or about the text the students just heard. At the end of each read aloud there are comprehension questions that include a mix of literal and inferential questions, as well as some evaluative questions.

Examples of literal questions are:

• “What do the swindlers do to make the emperor believe he had new clothes?” (Domain 1, Lesson 2)
• “What was the name of the religious festival, or sacred celebration, that people from all directions traveled to see and compete in, and where was it held?” (Domain 3, Lesson 4)
• “According to Greek mythology, who made the first mortal creatures?” (Domain 4, Lesson 2)

Examples of inferential questions are:

• “How does the mother hen help her chicks grow inside the eggs?” (Domain 6, Lesson 6)
• “What difficulties did the Morgans face on their trip?” (Domain 7, Lesson 1)
• “Why is it important to have clean blood?” (Domain 10, Lesson 5)
• “The author of this read aloud made the statement that ants are social insects. What reasons, or facts, did the author give to support his statement?” (Domain 8, Lesson 5)

Some of the questions contain both text-based and opinion-based responses, such as in Domain 5, Lesson 2, when the teacher asks, “Have you ever had two friends who were upset with each other? How did you feel? Whose side did you take? How do you think the United States felt in the early 1800s when France and Great Britain were at war?” There are some non text dependent questions as well, such as “In what hemisphere do you live?" (Domain 6, Lesson 2)

Some lessons have an Exit Pass that is text-based. Some examples of this include:

• In Domain 4, Lesson 4, “Write one to two sentences to answer the following question: What lesson do you think Arachne learns in this story?”
• In Domain 9, Lesson 6, “Students will identify at least two reasons the author gives for why the Civil War was longer and bloodier than the North thought it would be.”

Finally, there are assessments interspersed in the text which require that the students draw upon texts they have heard to answer questions.

There are also some text-to-world and text-to-self questions included in the lessons that would not require students to revisit the text and that students with background knowledge of the topics would have more access to answering the questions. For example, in Domain 6, Lesson 3, a question is, “How do people adapt to winter and summer?” While this could be answered from reading the text, this could also be answered by students with background knowledge, especially if they live in an area with the seasons. In addition, during the read-alouds there are questions to help the students understand the text better, but at times these are also questions with connections. For example, in Domain 10, Lesson 9, one of the text questions is, “What kinds of exercise do you enjoy?” In addition, prior to each read aloud there is background information for teachers to share with students. This background knowledge helps to prepare the students and set a purpose for listening.

The materials for Grade 2 meet expectations that materials contain sets of high-quality sequences of text-based questions with activities that build to a culminating task which integrates skills to demonstrate understanding. There are culminating assessments and optional culminating tasks that serve as remediation or enrichment for the students. The purpose of the tasks, according to the materials, is to enliven their experiences with domain concepts.

At the end of each domain there are assessments. The assessments include a vocabulary component as well as two or three components that address the content targeted in the domain. For example, in Domain 2, there are 15 vocabulary questions such as “Is the Indus River an important river in ancient Egypt?” As part of the core content assessment component, students need to label the mountains, rivers, and countries from the domain on a map. Previously in the domain, students answered questions about the Himalayas and Indus River. Another example to demonstrate core content knowledge is in Domain 7. Students have to write complete sentences to answer a question, such as “Why did many pioneer families choose to move to the West in the 1800s?”

There are also Mid-Domain assessments in some of the units. For example, in Domain 2, students need to cut and paste images related to early Indian Civilizations into the correct rows for classification purposes. Previously, students answered questions in Lesson 7 about Hinduism and Buddhism. In Domain 6, students answer, “Would it be easier for you to observe the complete life cycle of a sunflower plant or a tree?” Then in the Mid-Domain assessment, students cut out images of the sunflower life cycle and put them in the correct order.

The purpose of the culminating activities is for remediation and for enrichment. The suggested remediation activities are constant throughout each of the domains. They include revisiting lessons and rereading selected stories. The enrichment activities vary, based on the domain. In Domain 1, students make simple puppets of the characters from a particular tall tale and then use them to retell the story. An example of an enrichment activity in Domain 2 is reading related trade books. In Domain 6, students can draw a life cycle or compare and contrast the life cycles of different animals. Previously in Domain 6, students answer questions about animal life cycles, such as “What does a growing chick use for food before it hatches?” and “How are the chicken and frog’s life cycles similar?” Domain 7 is the first domain that requires students to build on what they learn in each lesson to complete a task. They make quilts to help them remember important things they learned about westward expansion in each lesson. In addition, they begin making a timeline starting in Lesson 1 that will help them remember the events of westward expansion.

Some of the culminating tasks are not text-based and do not integrate the skills learned in the domain. One example is in Domain 1: the teacher plans a tall tale breakfast with maple syrup, bacon, and blueberries, because maple syrup and blueberries are from Maine (from where Paul Bunyan comes). Another example is in Domain 2: some of the tasks include inviting in guest speakers or holding a Chinese New Year celebration. In Domain 3, one suggested activity is having an Olympic Games day.

Also, some of the purposes for learning stated in the beginning of the domains are not evaluated in the end. The intention for a culminating writing piece is evident; however, it is not always clear or sequenced in a way that is easy for the teacher or student to navigate or to understand. For example, in Domain 3 students draft an opinion about what city-state they would have preferred to live in (Sparta or Athens). Leading up to the opinion writing, students answered questions about Sparta and Athens. In Domain 5, after learning how to plan, draft, and present a persuasive speech, the teacher is expected to use the persuasive speech rubric to assess the students’ persuasive speeches.

In addition to the end of domain assessments or activities, some of the lessons have individual culminating writing activities. For example, in the Skills Section in Unit 4, Lesson 4, students engage in a close reading activity of the book, “Drummer’s Grove,” and students answer “What is Drummer’s Grove?” and “What did the drummer tell Kurt about his hands?” After the Close Reading, the teacher can engage “students in a culminating writing activity completed independently, if possible.” In Lesson 8 of the same unit, students end up writing a summary of what Kurt learned about diners in the story “The Diner.” In Lesson 8, students answer who and what questions about the details in “The Diner.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectation that materials provide frequent opportunities and protocols for evidence-based discussions (e.g., small group, peer-to-peer, whole class) that encourage the modeling and use of academic vocabulary and syntax. There are opportunities for students to turn and talk or answer questions orally in a whole group setting, a few opportunities for small group discussion, and there are some protocols for evidence-based discussion. In addition, there is modeling of speaking with correct syntax and academic vocabulary.

There are think-pair-share or a turn and talk questions in the majority of the lessons. For example, in Domain 2, Lesson 1, students turn to a partner to discuss some features of Indus River communities that were common among ancient civilizations. They also formulate their own questions for their partner, such as in Domain 2, Lesson 4: “Think of a question you can ask your neighbor about the read-aloud that starts with the word who. Turn to your neighbor, and ask your who question. Listen to your neighbor’s response. Then your neighbor will ask a new question, and you will get a chance to respond.” In Domain 4, Lesson 3, students have to describe with a partner why Hades returns Persephone to her mother, but only for part of the year. In Domain 6, Lesson 8, students work with a partner to describe the life cycle of a butterfly. In Domain 9, Lesson 6, students work with a partner to retell how Robert E. Lee came to be the commander of the Confederate Army.

For the majority of the Think-Pair-Share questions, as well as the comprehension questions after each read-aloud that are done orally in whole group settings, there are supports in place to scaffold speaking and listening skills for students within the lessons to include emerging, expanding, and bridging skills. For example, in Domain 3, Lesson 4, students who are emerging will have the question reframed as a simple yes/no question, while the expanding students will be provided with a specific sentence frame, and the bridging students will be encouraged to use key details in complete sentences.

There are also small group discussions and activities. For example, in Domain 4, Lesson 4, the teacher splits the class into five groups. Each group will make one part of a tapestry. They need to discuss and create illustrations. The teacher is encouraged to help the students use richer and more complex language including, if possible, vocabulary from the read aloud. In Domain 7, Lesson 9. students are put into groups to discuss any positive changes caused by the inventions and events during the time of westward expansion as well as any negative changes caused by the inventions and events in the time of westward expansion.

In the Skills Section of the materials, students begin engaging in close reading of texts in Unit 4. For the majority of these lessons, students read the text in pairs, answer text-based questions, and discuss Tier 2 Vocabulary. For this, teachers identify and discuss the vocabulary. In the Skills Section of Unit 6, Lesson 12, students discuss sections of the text that might pose difficulty due to complex syntax, dense information, challenging transition, or that require making inferences.

In a few instances, there are evidence-based discussions that encourage the use of academic vocabulary. For example, in Domain 4, Lesson 5, students have to turn and talk to think of a word to describe King Minos and to think of a word to describe Daedalus. In Domain 6, Lesson 9, students turn to a partner to discuss why precipitation (an academic vocabulary word) is important. In Domain 7, Lesson 8, students discuss with a partner why the transcontinental railroad was so important. In Domain 7, Lesson 9, students discuss with a partner how westward expansion affected Native American tribes living in the United States, using at least 6 words to describe how they were affected.

In some lessons, there are syntactic activities. These activities provide students with modeling, exposure, and practice expanding sentences using details from the text that they are reading. In these activities, teachers are expected to restate students’ sentences so that the sentences are grammatically correct. One example of this is two partners will be making up different kinds of sentences based on what they see in the picture in as descriptive a way as possible. It states that they should make up a question that Disa asks Lysander from the read-aloud in Domain 3, Lesson 5.

The materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectation that materials support students' listening and speaking about what they are reading (or read-aloud) and researching (shared projects) with relevant follow-up questions and supports. They are asked roughly five comprehension questions about the text and have to share their answers orally. Many of the activities also use Think-Pair-Share as a way for students to express and share ideas. There are supports in every lesson that offer scaffolds labeled as emerging, expanding, and bridging support.

In each lesson there is an objective that tells the teacher the purpose of the read aloud, and there is also a purpose for listening which is read/told to the students. For example, the purpose of Domain 4, Lesson 4 is to “Find out what animal is an arachnid and to find out what this myth explains about nature.” In Domain 6, Lesson 7, students hear about the life cycle of a frog. They need to listen and watch carefully to learn all about the frog's transformation during the main topic of the read-aloud. In Domain 11, Lesson 8, the purpose is to “Find out what it means to be a citizen and how immigrants can become citizens of the United States.”

In the majority of the lessons there are different supports for three types of learners to be able to listen to and comprehend the read aloud, as well as speak about it. For example, in Domain 2, Lesson 6, the supports include reframing a question to make it a simple yes/no question, providing students with a simple sentence frame, or encouraging students to use key details in complete sentences. Similarly, in Domain 7, Lesson 6, students present information in formal presentations. Some students will plan a very brief presentation, choosing one setting, one or two characters, and one situation. Other students will plan a brief presentation, choosing one to two settings, two or three characters, and one or two situations. Students can also plan a longer presentation, choosing two or three settings, two or three characters, and two or three situations.

Throughout the domains, the end of every read aloud includes activities that involve speaking and listening in addition to comprehension questions. For example, in Domain 4, Lesson 4, small groups of students will illustrate one event from “Arachne the Weaver” to create a class summary. In Domain 5, Lesson 5, students ask their neighbor a question about the read aloud, using the word what. Then the neighbor will ask a different question with the same guideline.

Think-Pair-Share is also used throughout the knowledge domains to support students’ speaking and listening skills. For example, in Domain 3, Lesson 2, the directions are: “Choose a god or goddess from the story, but don’t tell your partner who you have chosen. Describe him/her to your partner using adjectives, and see if your partner can guess which god or goddess you are describing.” Turn and Talk is another support used throughout the domains. For example, in Domain 5, Lesson 2: “Turn to your partner and share one reason the War Hawks wanted to go to war with Great Britain. Then have your partner turn to you and share one reason many merchants did not want to go to war with Great Britain.” During the read-alouds there are also Check for Understanding Questions, where the teacher stops reading, and students answer a question with a partner, such as, “What are some of the similarities between the song and the boy’s journal entry?” (Domain 7, Lesson 3) “Within your group, discuss the various settings, characters, and situations in the read aloud.” (Domain 7, Lesson 4) Another example is: “Think of a word or phrase that describes immigrants’ experiences in United States cities in the 1880s and 1920s." (Domain 11, Lesson 5)

In addition to the lessons in the Knowledge section, there are additional supports for speaking and listening in the Skills Section. For example, in Unit 4, Lesson 4, when students read “Drummer’s Drove,” students discuss the text, especially the difficult sections due to complex syntax, dense information, challenging transitions, or that require inferences. In Unit 4, Lesson 15, students engage in a Think-Pair-Share after reading “The Daydream.” They describe the plot of this story as well as what they like to daydream about. In Unit 4, Lesson 16, the teacher has students answer questions in complete sentences orally, citing the part of the story that guided their answer.

The materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the criteria for materials including a mix of on-demand and process writing and short, focused projects, incorporating digital resources where appropriate. Materials include short and longer writing tasks and projects, and there are opportunities for students to revise and edit. In addition, the writing tasks and projects are aligned to the grade level standards.

Within the Grade 2 materials, there are multiple opportunities for students to produce on-demand writing. They work on note-taking with charts and graphic organizers, opinion and persuasive pieces, as well as narratives. For example, in Domain 1, students work independently to rewrite a fairy tale by changing one element of “The Fisherman and his Wife,” Also in Domain 1, there is a pausing point where students complete the sentence: “When the emperor realized he could not see the magic clothes, he should have....” In Domain 3, students write a short opinion on whether they would prefer to live in Athens or Sparta. Another example is found in Domain 4, where students write a brief summary of a Greek myth in preparation for their own Greek myth later in the domain. In Domain 7, students write short informational texts after hearing the read aloud to answer questions, such as how steamboats affected westward expansion and why Sequoyah thought it was important to invent a writing system for the Cherokee language (Lessons 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, and 9). In Domain 9, students write entries into a Civil War journal, detailing various events and people associated with the Civil War (Lessons 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11). In Lesson 6, they have exit passes that include writing at least two reasons that the author gave in the read aloud for the Civil War being longer and bloodier than the North thought it would be. In Lesson 7, students write two or three sentences about General Robert E. Lee and the role he played in the U.S. Civil War. In Domain 11, students write short summaries about what they have learned about immigration.

The Grade 2 materials also have multiple opportunities for students to produce process writing. There is repetition, review, and practice with the steps of the writing processes, including drafts and edits, presented to ensure understanding of foundations of writing. Formal writing instruction designed to address the standards for writing starts in Unit 2. Students receive instruction using a four-step writing process that includes planning, drafting, editing, and publishing. In the Skills Section, Unit 2, students write a book report on “The Hare and Hedgehog,” and students are taught how to plan, draft, and edit. They use an editing checklist with a peer and produce a final copy, by copying the edited draft on a clean sheet of paper. In the Knowledge section in Domain 2, Lesson 6, students write a brief description of an image of a Diwali celebration, receive peer feedback, and incorporate that feedback in their writing. Another example is in the Unit 3 Skills Section when students begin to explore the genre of fiction writing. They establish a character and incorporate facts about ancient Greece into a fictional piece of writing. During this project, they engage in the writing process. In Domain 5, students plan, draft, and present a persuasive speech. In Domain 4, students use a planning template to brainstorm ideas for a new persuasive argument, use these ideas to write a draft of a persuasive letter, and use an editing checklist to review the draft. In Unit 6 of the Skills Section, students learn how to write a report. They use the same three step process, but there are additional steps for the report. They spend several days drafting the two paragraphs and editing them.

There is also evidence that supports that students engage in focused projects that incorporate digital resources where appropriate. For example, in Domain 4, it is suggested that students use a word processing program to prepare their letters for display or publication. Another example is in Domain 7: the culminating activity is a research project on westward expansion. Students are encouraged to use internet resources to conduct research.

The instructional materials for Grade 2 meet the expectation that materials provide opportunities for students to address the different texts types of writing (year long), that reflect the distribution required by the standards.

Students write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events. In the beginning of the year in Domain 1, Lesson 1, the students create their own version of a story by changing one element of the story, “The Fisherman and his Wife.” They also retell one of four tall tales by brainstorming the beginning, middle, and end of the story in Lesson 8. In Domain 3, they also write fictional narratives. They are taught how to establish characters and then incorporate facts about ancient Greece into a fictional writing piece. In Domain 4, students write a brief summary of a Greek myth in preparation for writing their own Greek myth later in the domain. In Domain 11, students explore the genre of letter writing. They plan and draft a letter as a fictional immigrant to a family member or friend in the country from which they emigrated. In each domain, there are also pausing points to give the teacher additional opportunities to practice skills. There are writing prompts that will help students with narrative writing such as in Domain 1, where students can respond to the prompts: “If a magic fish could grant me a wish I would wish for….” or “When the emperor realized he could not see the magic clothes, he should have….” In addition, the Skills Section also has lessons involving narrative writing. For example, in Unit 1, students are taught how to write a personal narrative in Lesson 15, by drawing and coloring a self portrait and then writing a short story about the things they do with a pal. In Unit 3, students practice writing their own personal narrative. The direct instruction begins in Lesson 22 and ends in Lesson 24. Unit 5 involves direct, explicit instruction on narrative writing (Lessons 17, 18, and 19).

In addition, students write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement. In Domain 2, students are first taught to collect and synthesize information and then write one to three sentences in response to read alouds. They also publish an informational book about writing in ancient China. In Domain 3, students collect and synthesize information by using note taking tools such as charts and graphic organizers. They do this beginning in Lesson 1, using a notebook. In Domain 5, students make portraits to help them remember some of the important people and places connected to the War of 1812 (Lesson 1), and they also write a short speech from the point of view of either a War Hawk or a merchant in America in 1812 (Lesson 2). In Domain 6, students complete a shared research project by recording observations of scientific phenomena and practicing summarizing of knowledge about cycles in order to write an informational paragraph summarizing the life cycle of a frog. In Domain 7, students write informational text in the format of a Westward Expansion Quilt. In Domain 8, students write about a past experience with an insect. In Domain 9, students write entries into a Civil War journal, describing various events and people associated with the Civil War (Lessons 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11). In Domain 10, Lesson 1, students begin to write entries in their Human Body Journal, where they describe their five senses. In Domain 11, the students collect and synthesize information by using note-taking tools, and they write short summaries of what they have learned about immigration. Lastly, students write a free verse poem in Domain 12. In the Skills Section, students create a paragraph by writing three sentences that follow a short topic sentence (Lesson 6) and use that paragraph to help write a report on the National Anthem (beginning in Lesson 29).

Finally, students also write opinion pieces in which they introduce an opinion of a topic or book, supply reasons that support their opinion, and provide a concluding statement. In Domain 3, students write a short opinion on whether they would prefer to live in Athens or Sparta. In Domain 4, students plan, draft, and present a persuasive speech in Lessons 2, 3, 4, and Pausing Points. They will present arguments either for or against going to war with Great Britain in 1812. In Unit 4 of the Skills Section, students begin a series of lessons on writing a persuasive letter to the principal. Students state their opinion and provide reasons that support their opinion.

The instructional materials for Grade 2 meet the expectation that materials include regular opportunities for evidence-based writing to support recall of information, opinions with reasons, and relevant information appropriate for the grade level. There are multiple opportunities for students to use evidence based writing to detail comparisons of characters, provide opinions of stories, complete note-taking based on informational charts and materials, provide important details based on stories, and present specific details of places, people, and events in the materials being presented.

In each domain, there are multiple opportunities for students to complete evidence-based writing. For example, in Domain 1, students have to decide on which scene they enjoy the most from “Beauty and the Beast” and write two or three sentences to describe the scene. In addition, in the Pausing Point, students write their own book that is a retelling of one of the fairy tales from the domain. In Domain 2, Lesson 2, students write one to three facts about Moenjodaro that indicate it was part of civilization. In Domain 3, students write one sentence describing the city-state of Sparta in ancient Greece. In Domain 4, Lesson 2, students record information about a character’s point of view from the Greek myth, "Prometheus and Pandora,” as a formative assessment. In Domain 5, Lesson 5, students sequence events from the War of 1812, using time-order words. Students write and illustrate key information about the life cycle of a chicken in Domain 6, Lesson 6. In Domain 7, students write an informational text in the format of a Westward Expansion Quilt in Lessons 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, and 9. In Domain 9, students write entries into a Civil War journal, detailing various events and people associated with the Civil War in Lessons 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, and 11. In Domain 10, students are asked to use Activity page 2.1 and write three sentences about Anton van Leeuwenhoek. In Domain 11, students work independently throughout the domain to write short summaries of what they have learned about immigration. Each of these activities requires students to write, using evidence from texts to support their answers.

In addition to the Knowledge section, there are multiple opportunities for the students to write with evidence after reading a story in order to answer questions specific to a text. In Unit 1, for example, students are asked, “What did the cat bandit do when he jumped off the shed in ‘Milk’?” In Unit 2, students are asked, “Why did Mike make a face in ‘Mike’s Bedtime’?” In Unit 3, students are asked, “How old are the spellers in the spelling bee in ‘Spelling Bee’?” In Unit 4, students are asked to turn to Activity 8.2 and summarize what Kurt learned about diners.

The instructional materials for Grade 2 meet the expectation that materials include explicit instruction of the grammar and conventions/language standards for grade level, as applied in increasingly sophisticated contexts, with opportunities for application both in and out of context.

Grammar and conventions are taught in a sequence consistent with the demands of the standards and are integrated with the reading and writing instruction in both explicit sections and embedded into the curriculum. Students are provided opportunities to grow their skills with these standards through practice and application. Students have multiple practice opportunities to integrate the grammar expectations into their learning. The introduction of skills in a sequential manner allows for students to utilize skills taught in a manner that builds. The opportunities are built in and out of context for learning and applying grammar. Grammar is taught predominantly in the Skills Section.

In Skills Unit 1, students first learn concepts and practice them orally, and then they are reinforced in written text. There are grammar teaching opportunities in demonstration stories as well as daily warm ups. Instruction begins in Lesson 12 of this unit. One example of a lesson including students editing incorrectly written sentences is reviewing capitalization of the first word in a sentence and also properly using a question mark at the end of an interrogative sentence (Lesson 12). There are also activities for Pausing Points involving capitalization and punctuation.

In Skills Unit 2, students work on end punctuation and quotation marks as well as capitalizing the first word in a sentence. Some examples of this in Lesson 4 include students recognizing that quotation marks are used for dialogue and writing quotation marks around dialogue in written sentences. In Lesson 11. students use commas and quotation marks to designate dialogue in written text and apply proper capitalization and punctuation in written sentences.

In Skills Unit 3, students continue to focus on capitalization, quotation marks, and ending punctuation, as well as new instruction on common and proper nouns, antonyms, synonyms, and verbs. In Lesson 12, students distinguish between common and proper nouns in word pairs and identify both types of nouns in short written sentences. In Lesson 22, students identify action verbs in oral and written sentences.

In Skills Unit 4, students review singular and plural regular nouns, as well as common and proper nouns. They also review synonyms, antonyms, contractions, and quotations. In addition, students learn the formation of irregular plurals, the use of apostrophe -s with nouns to indicate possession, and the use of titles such as Mr., Mrs., and Ms.. Students also continue to work on verbs, reviewing action verbs (Lesson 4), learning about ‘to be’ verbs, and working with verb tenses. In Lesson 7, the students learn that some singular nouns are exceptions to the general rule about adding the ending -s or -es to create the plural form. In Lesson 9, students read short sentences, identify nouns and action verbs in those sentences, and orally provide proper nouns to replace the common nouns. In Lesson 13, students correct and rewrite sentences, adding appropriate capitalization and punctuation to all proper nouns, including periods at the end of abbreviated titles and apostrophes to show possession.

In Skills Unit 5, students review previously taught grammar skills including capitalization and punctuation and are taught adjectives as a new part of speech and the concept of verb tenses and the components of a sentence, subject, and predicate. Some examples of this include students identifying the adjectives and the nouns (Lesson 3). Students identify the subject and predicate in sentences and complete fill-in-the-blank sentences with a noun, verb, and adjectives (Lesson 7), and students complete a chart with the correct present, past, and future tense verb forms for respective pronouns (Lesson 23).

In Skills Unit 6, students continue to review grammar skills introduced in previous units. The focus of this unit is on the sentence as a unit. They learn to identify complete versus incomplete sentences. They will also learn to identify run-on sentences as well as ways to correct these sentences. In Lesson 7, students learn that an adverb is a word that describes a verb, and will identify adverbs, nouns, and verbs in oral sentences. In Lesson 12, students will distinguish between complete and incomplete sentences, will correct run-on sentences by rewriting each as two sentences, using correct capitalization and punctuation, and will combine the ideas of a run-on sentence to create one scene.

In addition to Skills Lessons, there is some focus on grammar in the Knowledge section; however, this primarily deals with figurative language. For example, in Domain 1, Lesson 4, students analyze the statement, “better late than never.” In Domain 1, Pausing Point, they also discuss the statement “don't judge a book by its cover.” They also learn various prefixes and suffixes. For example, in Domain 1, Lesson 1, students are taught that the prefix dis- often makes a word have opposite meaning, and in Lesson 3 they learn that the prefix mis- often also makes the word have opposite meaning. In Domain 5, Lesson 5, students learn that the suffix -less means without. Lastly, the lesson's focus is on words that students can use in their writing to make it more descriptive. In Domain 4, Lesson 6, students use adjectives to describe images. In Domain 3, Lesson 5, students are asked to use other words and adjectives to describe life in Sparta.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectation that materials, questions, and tasks directly teach foundational skills to build reading acquisition by providing systematic and explicit instruction in the alphabetic principle, letter-sound relationships, phonemic awareness, and phonological awareness (K-1), and phonics (K-2) that demonstrate a transparent and research-based progression with opportunities for application both in and out of context. While the first three Units are all review, new phonics patterns are introduced in Units 4, 5, and 6, such as /i/ as y, /ee/ as y and ey, and /f/ as ph. According to the program, by Grade 2 “students who have mastered the letter-sound correspondences taught in CKLA up to this point have learned most of the important letter-sound correspondences they need to read English writing." Most students will be able to decode the occasional unusual spelling by using the puzzling strategies that have been taught. Units 1-4 include 100% decodable texts, but in Unit 5 the texts are not 100% decodable. Students are expected to use strategies such as segmenting in order to read challenging, unfamiliar words.

Beginning in Unit 4, alternative spellings for vowel sounds are introduced such as /er/ for her in Lesson 2 and /ie/ for y as in try in Lesson 4. Unit 6 also includes several new spelling alternatives and consonant sounds such as /k/ for ch as in school. In Unit 6, Lesson 2, students begin reading words with alternative spellings such as the /n/ sound spelled either with ‘n’ or ‘kn’ and the /r/ sound spelled either with ‘wr’ or ‘r'.

Some of the review activities in the beginning of the materials include chaining, which is included in Unit 1, Lesson 3. In Unit 1, Lesson 11, students segment, blend, and then spell a variety of one- and two- syllable short vowel words. In Unit 3, Lesson 6, students engage in a word sort of words that make the /oe/ sound based on the spellings of o_e, o, oe, and oa. Distinguishing between long and short vowels is reviewed in Unit 2, such as reading a word with a short vowel sound, adding an ending -e, and then reading the new word. Students also continue practicing reading words with inflectional endings, such as in Unit 3, Lesson 10, when students read the root word and then add the -ed and read the new word.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectation that materials, questions, and tasks provide explicit instruction and regular practice to address the acquisition of print concepts for including alphabetic knowledge, directionality, and function (K-1), structures and features of text (1-2). The majority of the instruction reinforces print concepts that were taught in Kindergarten and Grade 1.

Lessons about text structure focus more on genre than structure. In Unit 6, Lesson 2, students are explicitly taught the difference between fiction and nonfiction texts. Students create a T-chart to identify the differences and use previously read stories to gather evidence in a whole group. There is a missed opportunity for students to identify text structure such as main idea and details, but the Teacher’s Guide provides this information for the teacher. For example in Unit 4, Lesson 17, it states, “The main idea of the story is the continuing job hunt, this time, at a bakery. Key details of the text include Kim asking about positions and being given paperwork to fill out, and eating a muffin and deciding he wanted to be a baker when he grows up.” In another example, the students are told that the story is a trickster tale, verses the students identifying this on their own (Unit 2, Lesson 5).

There are some lessons that involve text features such as in Unit 1, Lesson 1, the teacher points to the title of the story and reminds the students the title provides an idea of what the story is about. In Unit 5, students are provided multiple opportunities to use information from the illustrations and texts that they read to demonstrate understanding of the text. In Unit 6, Lesson 3, students have to identify the table of contents and the glossary in the story.

The instructional materials for Grade 2 meet the expectation that instructional opportunities are frequently built into the materials for students to practice and gain decoding automaticity and sight-based recognition of high frequency words. This includes reading fluency in oral reading beginning in mid-Grade 1 through Grade 2.

There are multiple opportunities for students to read on-level texts throughout the year. In each unit, students are provided a decodable reader which contains all decodable words in Units 1-4 and almost all decodable words afterwards. In addition, students engage in close reading of these texts once a week.

There are opportunities for students to improve their accuracy, rate, and expression in oral reading with on-level texts and grade-level decodable words. There is a separate Fluency Packet that is available for download at ckla.amplify.com which includes poems, informational pieces, a Reader’s Theater, realistic fiction, and a science and social studies selection. The selections are grouped by unit and the selected topics relate to the content of the respective unit in the Decodable Readers. Most lessons throughout the year have an objective that states, “Practice reading with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression” such as Unit 1, Lesson 11. Some lessons have students read with different voices for different characters to support expression (Unit 2, Lesson 4 and 5).

Students are provided opportunities to practice and read irregularly spelled words. Sight words are identified in each lesson such as in Unit 2, Lesson 2: my, by, and have and in Unit 2, Lesson 10: they and their. In Unit 4, tricky words are also included such as people, walk, grownup (Lesson 3), and building (Lesson 16).

There are some supports to teach reading strategies, especially rereading. For example in Lesson 3 and 7 of Unit 2, students are expected to reread with a partner. In addition, as students come across words that are not decodable, they are encouraged to use their “puzzling skills” such as chunking words into syllables, referring to their Individual Code Chart, or using the context where they encounter these words (Unit 6).

The instructional materials for Grade 2 meet the expectation that materials, questions, and tasks provide systematic and explicit instruction and practice of word recognition and analysis skills in a research-based progression in connected text and tasks. In the beginning of the units, many of the skills are review such as vowel teams, but in later units alternative spellings are taught. According to CKLA, students who have mastered the letter-sound correspondences taught in CKLA up to this point have learned most of the important letter-sound correspondences they need to read English and students are encouraged to select books that interest them. The Decodable texts in Units 1-4 are 100% decodable, meaning that all of the words in the texts have been taught, but beginning in Unit 5, not all of the words are decodable. Students are expected to use strategies taught such as chunking or segmentation in order to read unknown words.

The back of each unit’s decodable lists the core knowledge that students will have already mastered before reading as well as the core knowledge gradually added to the reader for students to practice. Prior to each text, the teacher is expected to preview some of the words with the spelling patterns taught or reviewed in the lesson. For example, in Unit 1 students read words with the letter 'a' pronounced as /a/ versus the alternatives for this letter. Students are also introduced to more multisyllable words, and these words are present more in the decodables. In Unit 2, Lesson 13, words previewed have either 'ar', 'er', or 'or' spelling patterns or are two-syllable words. Beginning in Unit 6, students read the text first before instruction as a way to prepare them for CKLA Grade 3. It is suggested that teachers also preview tricky words before reading chapters such as in Unit 6, Lesson 5, where the teacher is supposed to preview Great Britain, Europe, native, Americans, war, and signature.

The instructional materials for Grade 2 meet the expectation that materials support ongoing and frequent assessments to determine student mastery and inform meaningful differentiation of foundational skills, including a clear and specific protocol as to how students performing below standard on these assessments will be supported. The multitude of formative and summative assessments enable the teacher to determine who needs more support, and suggestions on how to provide that support are given in many instances.

In each Skills Unit there are formative assessments clearly marked for monitoring individual student performance. Teachers can implement various Additional Support Activities found at the end of each lesson, based on each student's needs. There are places where the materials say to collect the Activity Page in order to analyze the work, as in Unit 3, Lesson 15, where the teacher analyzes the student’s dictation ability. An analysis is included to determine weaknesses as well as what remediation the individual student or groups of students need.

The weekly spelling tests in Grade 2 align to the phonics pattern of the week. Teachers are expected to analyze each student's performance on spelling assessments to gain insight into specific gaps in knowledge. Each spelling test comes with a spelling analysis chart and directions to summarize the errors to determine next steps. In many cases the spelling assessment states, “If the student makes more than six mistakes, he or she is having problems with word recognition and may need additional practice decoding specific spelling (Unit 2). Spelling assessments and analyses come every five days.

Similarly, there are fluency assessments embedded in the curriculum where the teacher takes a running record and records errors as well as rate. If a student's results fall below the 50th percentile, it is suggested that this may be an area of concern, and additional fluency practice should be included.

At the beginning of the curriculum there is a Placement Overview which helps “inform decisions as to whether students are ready to continue with Grade 2, Unit 2 instruction or whether other instruction is needed to ensure mastery of skills taught in CKLA at the Grade 1 level” (p. 104). The curriculum specifically says that it is important to stop and work on any knowledge gaps with phonics versus pushing through the CKLA Grade 2 materials. At the End of Unit Assessment, there is an ability to do additional follow-up assessments. There is also a scoring and analysis section for the Word Reading in Isolation Assessment. Because this is an end of unit assessment, there is no direction for the teacher to provide additional instruction; however, it is recommended that the teacher give the analysis record to the following year's teacher. There is a summary sheet provided for the teacher to complete and give to the Grade 3 teachers with the students' assessment information.

In each Skills Unit, there are also Pausing Points. It is suggested that teachers stop and spend four to five days in each unit to provide targeted remediation for individuals or groups of students in the areas in which they performed poorly on the end of unit assessment, as well as enrichment activities for students who performed well.

Lastly, there is a separate publication called the Assessment and Remediation Guide that is online. It provides further guidance in assessing, analyzing, and remediating specific skills.

The instructional materials for Grade 2 meet the expectation that materials, questions, and tasks provide high-quality lessons and activities that allow for differentiation of foundational skills.

At the end of each unit, there is a Pausing Point section where teachers can determine which activities students need to complete over the course of several days, based on their strengths and weaknesses. This allows for targeted remediation for individuals or groups of students in any areas in which they performed poorly on the end of unit assessment. Some of the activities address vowel digraphs, two-syllable words, and sight words.

In some of the individual lessons there are suggested supports and challenges for students that teachers can choose to implement. For example, in Unit 2, Lesson 8, one such support is: “As you complete the chain, remind students that vowel digraphs are made up of two letters; however, since they stand for one sound they will count as one change when chaining.” In the same lesson, a challenge for students is “Have pairs of students hunt for words in a teacher-selected book for exceptions to the a_e and i_e rule. The students then write the words on paper and sort them into piles, separating the a_e and i_e words.” Another example of a support is in Unit 6, Lesson 11, where it is suggested that the teacher use syllable division strategies to scaffold reading of multisyllabic words. In Lesson 13, teachers can remind students that ‘i’ is also a tricky spelling, as students have previously learned ‘i’ as /i/ and as /ie/.

At the back of each lesson there is also an additional support section, which provides teachers with activities for students who need remediation on the skill taught. Some examples are in Unit 2, which include more assistance with splitting digraphs (Lesson 2) and having students practice reading phrases, sentences, and short stories that include the Tricky Words, were and some (Lesson 6).

Some lessons contain small group work, so teachers can provide more targeted instruction. For example, in Unit 2, Lesson 15, one group works with the teacher to complete Activity Page 15.2 as the other students work with a partner. It is suggested that “homogenous groupings for Skills instruction is the most efficient and effective way to differentiate instruction and meet students’ needs when teaching phonics skills,” and students who are lagging in specific skills should be receiving extra practice. Teachers are expected to collect the Activity Sheets periodically to analyze work and plan for remediation. One example of this is Unit 3, Lesson 15, where the teacher is instructed to use the Midpoint Dictation Identification Analysis located in the Teacher Resources to analyze student errors and determine what remediation individual students or groups of students may need. Another example of this is Unit 6, Lesson 17, where teachers should analyze the work; students who did not correctly identify words by their parts of speech may benefit from additional practice identifying words by their parts of speech at a later time.

For students who are having success with the Skills, it is suggested that these students read trade books and text books written at an appropriate level, which is another form of differentiation.