Kindergarten - Gateway 1

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria of Indicator 1a.

Instructional materials include content-rich texts encompassing diverse topics and student interests by award-winning authors. Texts have engaging illustrations with a variety of relatable characters including a blend of ethnicities, ages, genders, and cultures. Each unit includes both literary and informational texts based on an appropriate grade level theme. Texts contain academic vocabulary, and varied complex sentence structures including verse and prose. Multi-dimensional text features to support student learning and task completion.  

Anchor texts are of high quality and consider a range of student interests, are well-crafted, content-rich, and engage students at their grade level. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, The Crayon Box that Talked by Shane Derolf has complex sentence structures, colorful illustrations and strong social and emotional themes of diversity.  

• In Unit 2, Hush! A Thai Lullaby by Minfong Ho is an award-winning text that includes complex sentence structure, academic vocabulary and onomatopoeia.

• In Unit 3, Why Do Leaves Change Color? by Betty Maestro contains academic vocabulary, vibrant illustrations, and a familiar topic.

• In Unit 4, Pele King of Soccer by Monica Brown is a bilingual English-Spanish text with vivid illustrations, an engaging story, and a culturally relevant story line.

• In Unit 5, Tracks in the Snow by Wong Herbert Lee contains soft, quaint illustrations and simple rhythmic text.

• In Unit 6, Let’s Talk About Race by Julius Lester features a strong social justice theme and rich academic vocabulary. 

• In Unit 7, The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen and Jerry Pinkney is an award-winning text featuring colorful watercolor illustrations, rich language, academic vocabulary and a story of survival.

In Unit 8, Recycle! A Handbook for Kids by Gail Gibbons is an informational text containing academic vocabulary and captions which explain the process of recycling from start to finish. 

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria of Indicator 1b.

Instructional materials include a variety of literary and informational texts. The anchor texts in each unit include a variety of genres including but not limited to, poetry, biographies, fairy tales, fantasy, fables, realistic and historical fiction, narrative informational, and an illustrative guide. The yearlong balance of informational and literary texts is 49% informational and 51% literary. 

Materials reflect the distribution of text types/genres required by the grade level standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, examples of genres include, but are not limited to:

  • King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes (realistic fiction)

  • “I Like Myself” by Karen Beaumont (poetry)

  • You Hold Me Up by Monique Gray Smith (fiction)

  • Words Are Not For Hurting by Elizabeth Verdick (how-to book)

• In Unit 2, examples of genres include, but are not limited to:

  • The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle (fiction) 

  • We’re Going on a Lion Hunt by David Axtell (realistic-fiction)

  • Sitting Down to Eat by Bill Harley (poetry)

  •  Rap a Tap Tap: Here's Bojangles-Think of That! by Leo Dillon (biography)

  • Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys, and Their Monkey Business by Esphyr Slobodkina (folktale)

• In Unit 3, examples of genres include, but are not limited to:

  • Fall Harvest: Bringing in Food by Martha E. H. Rustad (narrative) 

  • Autumn Leaves by Ken Robbins (informational)

  • Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert (fantasy)

  • We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt by Steve Metzger (realistic fiction)

• In Unit 4, examples of genres include, but are not limited to:

  • Dim Sum for Everyone by Grace Lin (realistic fiction)

  • Nino Wrestles the World by Yuyi Morales (fantasy)

  • The Tortoise and the Hare by Jerry Pinkey (fable)

• In Unit 5, examples of genres include, but are not limited to:

  • Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner (informational)

  • Wild Tracks! A Guide to Nature’s Footprints by Jim Arnosky (guide) 

  • The Mitten by Jan Brett (folktale) 

  • The Big Snow by Berta and Elmer Hader (fiction) 

• In Unit 6, examples of genres include, but are not limited to:

  • All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold (narrative)

  • Let’s Talk About Race by Julius Lester (autobiography) 

  • All the Colors of the Earth by Sheila Hamanaka (poetry) 

  • Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You by Sonia Sotomayor (realistic fiction)

  • We March by Shane W. Evans (historical fiction) 

  • Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by Doreen Rappaport (biography) 

  • I Have a Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Kadir Nelson (speech)

• In Unit 7, examples of genres include, but are not limited to:

  • Who Will Plant a Tree? by Jerry Palotta (informational)

  • It’s Spring by Linda Glaser (narrative) 

  • Summer Birds: The Butterflies of Maria Merian by Margarita Engle (realistic fiction)   

• In Unit 8, examples of genres include, but are not limited to:

  • What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting Our Planet by Jess French (guide) 

  • The Last Straw: Kids vs Plastics by Susan Hood (poetry)

  • Rainbow Weaver/ Tejedora del Arcoiris by Linda Elovitz Marshall (realistic fiction)

  • Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood by Tony Hillery (informational) 

Materials reflect a 50/50 balance of informational and literary texts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The yearlong balance of informational and literary texts is 49% informational and 51% literary.

• The balance of informational and literary texts within each unit is as follows:

  • Unit 1 contains 10 core texts, of which two (20%) are informational and eight (80%) are literary.

  • Unit 2 contains nine core texts, with one (11%) being informational and eight (89%) being literary.

  • Unit 3 contains nine core texts, of which six (67%) are informational and three (33%) are literary.

  • Unit 4 contains 14 core texts, with five (36%) being informational and nine (64%) being literary.

  • Unit 5 contains 12 core texts, of which six (50%) are informational and six (50%) are literary.

  • Unit 6 contains 13 core texts, with six (46%) being informational and seven (53%) being literary.

  • Unit 7 contains 16 core texts, of which 13 (81%) are informational and three (19%) are literary.

  • Unit 8 contains eight core texts, with six (75%) being informational and two (25%) being literary.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria of Indicator 1c.

Anchor texts have the appropriate level of complexity for the grade and gradually increase in quantitative complexity over the course of the year. Quantitative, qualitative, and associated tasks have an overall complexity of accessible and moderate. The Lexile level range is from 140L to 1040L. Associated tasks scaffold to become more complex throughout the year and several texts are used for multiple lessons and tasks. Some texts that may be at a lower Lexile are more complex in qualitative measures making them appropriate for the grade level. The Text Selection Rationale for each unit includes a justification for the texts selected for the program and their educational placement in the grade, as well as a detailed analysis of the texts’ qualitative features.  

Texts have the appropriate level of complexity for the grade according to quantitative and qualitative analysis and relationship to their associated student task. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, the Read-Aloud text Words Are Not For Hurting by Elizabeth Verdick has a quantitative rating of 450L. The qualitative rating is moderate due to relatable topics, situations, and diverse children characters. The associated task is rated as accessible. The students identify helpful and hurtful words and explain how the words make them feel.  

• In Unit 4, the Read-Aloud text The Tortoise and the Hare by Jerry Pinkney has few words, and uses illustrations to retell the classic folk tale. It has a moderate qualitative rating due to vibrant illustrations and thought-provoking content. The task level is low. Students retell the story using details from the beginning, middle and end of the text and think about how the story applies to life.

• In Unit 7, the Read-Aloud text Frogs by Gail Gibbons has a quantitative rating of 600L. The qualitative rating is high due to the academic vocabulary. The associated task is accessible. Students answer detailed questions about each stage of the frog’s life cycle. With partners, students verbally explain the key stages in a frog’s life cycle and write two to three details about each stage in a frog’s life cycle.  

Anchor/core texts and series of texts connected to them are accompanied by an accurate text complexity analysis and a rationale for educational purpose and placement in the grade level at times. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Text Selection Rationale for each unit includes quantitative and qualitative complexity information for some texts. Some of the text complexity information is a summary of the unit texts rather than text-specific information, making it difficult to verify the accuracy of the provided qualitative information. Materials do not provide associated task complexity information. The accuracy of the provided quantitative measures was verified using MetaMetrics on The Lexile Framework for Reading site.

• In Unit 1, The Text Selection Rationale includes the Lexile range, as well as qualitative information. Text structures are simple and include chronological events which help to support students as they determine the theme of the texts, aspects of what it means to be part of a strong classroom community. The Read-Aloud text, The Crayon Box That Talked by Shane Derolf, is poetry. According to the Text Selection Rationale, texts in this unit were chosen because of their qualitative measures, particularly the levels of meaning.

• In Unit 2, the Text Selection Rationale includes the Lexile range, as well as qualitative information. The Read-Aloud text, We’re Going on a Lion Hunt by David Axtell, is a realistic fiction text. According to the Text Selection Rationale, texts in this unit were chosen because of the simple, straightforward themes, and follow a simple, predictable pattern allowing a reader to easily familiarize themselves with the text. The texts also have simple sentences, and there are clear connections between the illustrations and text.

• In Unit 5, the Text Selection Rationale includes the Lexile range as well as qualitative information. The Read-Aloud text, The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, is a narrative text. According to the Text Selection Rationale, texts in this unit were chosen based on quantitative Lexile levels and are one to two grade levels above Kindergarten. The texts also have a simple text structure and a strong relationship between the illustrations and the text. 

• In Unit 6, the Text Selection Rationale includes the Lexile range and qualitative information for the texts. The Read-Aloud text, Let’s Talk About Race by Julius Lester, is an autobiographical narrative. According to the Text Selection Rationale, texts in this unit were chosen based on quantitative Lexile levels and are between first to fourth grade levels. The texts also have straightforward meanings but students need to have background knowledge on the Civil Rights Movement and segregation to fully comprehend the content. 

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria of Indicator 1d.

Instructional materials increase in complexity throughout the year to support student literacy growth. Texts range in complexity from 140L to 1040L. Texts become more complex with appropriate teacher guidance and scaffolds included. Materials break student tasks into smaller steps and allow students additional time for their completion. Supporting teacher resources include suggestions to build background knowledge and discussion prompts. Texts represent a diverse range of perspectives, feelings and experiences. Texts often span multiple lessons, appear in multiple associated tasks, and are grouped with other selections to build content knowledge. 

The complexity of anchor texts students read provides an opportunity for students’ literacy skills to increase across the year, encompassing an entire year’s worth of growth. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, texts range in quantitative complexity from 140L to 720L. In Lesson 7, the teacher reads aloud Ruthie and the (Not So) Teeny Tiny Lie by Laura Rankin (AD 490L), stopping to ask questions about the main character and how she changes from the beginning to the end of the story. With teacher prompting, students identify the key event in the middle of the story that initiates the change. The students write in response to the following prompt: “What did we learn from the book?” 

• In Unit 3, texts range in quantitative complexity from 310L to 650L. In Lesson 3, students describe what happens to leaves in the fall by retelling details from Why Do Leaves Change Color? by Betsy Maestro (580L). Students draw and write about what happens to leaves as the tree gets ready for winter. As students use details from the text in their writing, the teacher also encourages them to use the academic term chlorophyll. In Lesson 4, students have the opportunity to add details to their writing and drawing.

• In Unit 5, texts range in quantitative complexity from 440L to1040L. In Lesson 5, the teacher reads aloud The Mitten by Jan Brett (600L) and asks questions about the characters and key events. Students write in response to the following prompt: “Based on what you know about animals and winter, could this story happen in real life? Explain why or why not.”  

• In Unit 8, texts range in quantitative complexity from 480L to 1030L. In Lesson 6, the teacher reads Recycle! A Handbook for Kids by Gail Gibbons (AD 840L). Students describe paper-making steps. The teacher prompts students to use the illustrations as a support to remember all the steps in order. In Lesson 14, students write their own informational book to explain the “Three R’s” of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. 

As texts become more complex, appropriate scaffolds and/or materials are provided in Teacher Edition (i.e., spending more time on texts, more questions, repeated readings). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Lesson 7, the teacher reads aloud Ruthie and the (Not So) Teeny Tiny Lie by Laura Rankin. Students describe the author's purpose by asking and answering questions about the main character and key events in the text. The teacher supports students through building background knowledge and providing language supports and scaffolded questioning. 

• In Unit 3, Lesson 3, students answer direct questions from Fall Leaves by Ken Robbins. Materials include examples of sentence stems to help students answer the questions. 

• In Unit 5, Lessons 2 and 4, students listen to and discuss multiple pages in It’s Snowing by Gail Gibbons. In Lesson 5, materials provide additional support with scaffolded questions to guide students’ thinking, building background and accessing prior knowledge, language support, support for close reading illustrations, and opportunities for enrichment. 

In Unit 7, Lessons 19–20, students spend two days listening to and discussing the characters, and major events in The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen and Jerry Pinkney. Supports include teacher prompting and questioning, as well as partner discussions using turn and talks.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the expectations of Indicator 1e.

Materials include a large volume of literary and informational texts that range in variety. The Text and Materials tab includes a link to a suggested text list for Independent Reading. Guidance in the Teacher Tools section recommends allotting an additional 15–30 minutes a day for independent reading.  The Teacher Tools section includes independent reading supports, such as independent reading guidelines, an independent reading log, sample lesson plans, and a parent letter.  

Instructional materials clearly identify opportunities and supports for students to engage in reading a variety of texts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, Lesson 6, students listen to the fiction text, The Napping House by Audrey Wood and retell what happens in the beginning, middle, and end of the story. 

• In Unit 6, Lesson 12, students listen to the informational text, We March by Shane W. Evans. Afterwards, students discuss and write about how people came together during the March for Freedom. 

• In Unit 8, Lesson 12, students listen to the true story, Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood by Tony Hillery. Students either respond to the Target Task question, “Explain how Mr. Tony’s idea transformed the neighborhood,” or write about “what they can learn from Mr. Tony.”  

Instructional materials clearly identify opportunities and supports for students to engage in a volume of reading. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, there are a total of 12 lessons. Students listen to 10 texts, and the Recommended Texts for Independent Reading list contains 14 fiction text suggestions with themes and topics that align to the unit theme, “Welcome to School.” In Lessons 1–10, students listen to a different anchor text each day. In Lesson 11, students reflect on their learning from each of the texts and “[e]xplain what it means to be part of a classroom community and how they can make the classroom community a fun place to be.”    

• In Unit 5, there are a total of 19 lessons. Students listen to 12 texts, and the Recommended Texts for Independent Reading list contains 22 suggestions for independent reading, including additional texts by Jan Brett, and fiction and informational texts with themes and topics that align to the unit theme, “Winter Wonderland.” After “[brainstorming] two or three questions about winter” in Lesson 1, students listen to It’s Snowing! by Gail Gibbons in Lessons 2 and 4 and The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder by Mark Cassino in Lesson 3. After listening to The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats in Lesson 5, students use their learning to discuss and write about “what makes winter beautiful.” Then, students listen to Animals in Winter by Henrietta Bancroft in Lesson 7. In Lessons 8–9, students listen to The Big Snow by Berta and Elmer Hader. In Lessons 10-14, students listen to a different anchor text each day. In Lessons 15–17, students listen to a different Jan Brett story each day.

• In Unit 7, there are a total of 22 lessons. Students listen to 16 texts, and the Recommended Texts for Independent Reading list contains 20 informational text suggestions with themes and topics that align to the unit theme, “Exploring Life Cycles.” In Lessons 1–6, students listen to a different anchor text each day and use their learning to “[w]rite a story about a seed that travels from one place to another” in Lesson 7. In Lesson 8, students listen to pages 1–21 of Frogs by Gail Gibbons and From Tadpole to Frog by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld in Lesson 9. Students use their learning from the two texts to “[w]rite an informational text to teach about a frog’s life cycle” in Lesson 10 and resume listening to a different anchor text each day in Lessons 11–13. After “[writing] a book that teaches about each stage in a butterfly’s life cycle in Lesson 14, students resume listening to a different anchor text each day in Lessons 15–17. Students “[w]rite a story about a baby bird hatching from an egg in Lesson 18, and finish the unit listening to The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen and Jerry Pinkney in Lessons 19–20.  

There is teacher guidance to foster independence for all readers.(e.g., proposed schedule, tracking system for independent reading, independent reading procedures are included in the lessons.) Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Teacher Tools, the Reading Structures and Routines section outlines several ways to incorporate independent reading into daily lessons. 

• In Teacher Tools, Independent Reading (K–5), guidelines for independent reading note the following: tasks should be relevant to students; students should experience a wide range of materials, genres, and text types; students should have choice in both books they read and how they respond to reading; students should have opportunities to share their reading with peers; and students need sustained independent reading time. Guidance encourages teachers to provide books that align with the unit themes and topic for student choice during independent reading.

• In Teacher Tools, Independent Reading (K–5), the Monitoring Student Comprehension section includes independent reading routines for teacher use to monitor students as they read independently. Independent reading routines include Discussion/Book Groups, Book Talks, Book Reviews, and Conferences. Book Review guidance states, “Students can have one reading log/journal for a variety of purposes, or a separate log/journal for different purposes,” and references the sample Student Independent Reading Log, Student Independent Reading Journal (Writing Prompt), and Student Independent Reading Journal (Summary) templates provided.  

• In Teacher Tools, Independent Reading (K–5), the Planning for Independent Reading section includes questions for teachers to consider as they prepare their classroom for independent reading. This teacher support also contains independent reading weekly planning templates, examples of how teachers can successfully begin and sustain independent reading, and examples of parent letters that address independent reading.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria of Indicator 1f.

Materials contain text-specific and text-dependent questions and tasks that support students as they explore key details and academic language, make inferences and examine the structure of texts. Questions and tasks provide opportunities for students to engage with the text and build content knowledge. Students use pictures and information from texts to support their speaking and writing responses. Materials provide guidance for teachers to plan and implement text-based questions and tasks. Each lesson includes sample responses to questions and tasks, as well as Language Supports and Additional Supports for discussion questions. The Unit Launch contains the Essential Questions and guidance for teachers to customize the unit for their students. The Teacher Tools section titled Academic Discourse provides guidance for teachers during class discussions.   

Text-specific and text-dependent questions and tasks support students in making meaning of the core understandings of the text being studied. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Lesson 5, after listening to The Crayon Box That Talked by Shane Derolf, students respond to the following text-specific questions: “What are the crayons saying? How are they feeling?”; “What is the girl doing?”; “How are the crayons changing?”; and “What lesson do the crayons learn in the end? Why is this important?”

• In Unit 4, Lesson 6, during the read-aloud, Dreamers by Yuyi Morales, students respond to the following text-specific questions: “How does Yuyi feel when she is crossing the bridge? How do you know?”; “Yuyi is an immigrant. An immigrant is a person who goes to live permanently in another country. How were things different for Yuyi in the United States?”; “Yuyi says they became ‘caminantes.’ What do you think the word ‘caminantes’ means?”; “What words does Yuyi use to describe the library? Why?”; and “What do Yuyi and her son learn at the library? How does it make them feel?” After the reading, students discuss and write in response to one of the following prompts, “How did Yuyi overcome the challenges she faced in the United States?” or “What message is Yuyi trying to share with her readers?” 

• In Unit 6, Lesson 2, during a read-aloud of Let’s Talk About Race by Julius Lester, students respond to text-based questions such as, “The author says, ‘Your race is not all that you are.’ Tell two reasons why. (p. 29).” 

• In Unit 8, Lesson 1, while listening to What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting Our Planet by Janet French, students respond to Key Questions including, but not limited to, “What is waste? Why is it a problem?”; “What is the problem with household waste?”; and “What is a landfill? What are the problems with a landfill?” After the reading, students discuss and write in response to this Target Task prompt: “What is waste? Name two reasons waste is a problem.”

Teacher materials provide support for the planning and implementation of text-based questions and tasks. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, Lesson 6, after reading The Napping House by Audrey Wood, one discussion question is: “What happens in the middle of the story?” Materials provide the teacher with the following sample response: “dreaming child, a dozing dog, a snoozing cat, and a slumbering mouse all get onto the bed.” Materials also include a Language Support question, “What word does the author use to describe the child?”, as well as this Additional Support: “Make sure students use the full description when describing what happens. Instead of saying a child gets on the bed, make sure students say a dreaming child.” 

• In Unit 4, Lesson 6, as the teacher reads aloud Dreamers by Yuyi Morales, students respond to a series of text-specific questions. To aid students with accessing the text and Target Task, materials include the following Additional Supports: “If needed, Close Read the following sentences: ‘The sky and the land welcomed us in words unlike those of our ancestors.’ An ancestor is a relative. What language did Yuyi’s ancestors speak? What language is spoken in the United States?” and “Close Read the pictures to help students build a deeper understanding of why things were challenging for Yuyi and the mistakes that she made.”   

• In Unit 5, Lesson 7, as students discuss Animals in Winter by Henrietta Bancroft and Richard G. Van Gelder, the teacher uses the formative data collected during the discussions to drive the supports used to aid students with accessing the text and task. When responding to the text-specific questions, “Which animals migrate? Why do they migrate? What would happen if they did not migrate? (p.10),” materials include the following Language Support: “Have students use context to determine the meaning of the word ‘migrate.’ If students are unable to figure out what the word means, teach students that if an animal migrates, it moves from one habitat to another depending on the season.”  

• In Unit 7, Lesson 5, as the teacher reads aloud The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle, students respond to questions such as, “What happens to the tiny seed?  Why? (p.26)” To support the teacher with the implementation of these text-specific questions, materials list the corresponding page number from the text, as well as an example of a correct response: “The tiny seed grows into a giant flower. It is the most beautiful flower that people, birds, and bees have ever seen. This happens because the tiny seed gets lots of water and rain.”

• In the Teacher Tools, Types of Formative Assessments, materials provide a table that includes teacher guidance on how to utilize the Key Questions as checks for understanding during the daily lesson, as well as how to use the Target Tasks to monitor student comprehension, content knowledge, writing, or oral language development. This section also includes Target Task Rubrics for reading responses.

• In the Teacher Tools, Components of an ELA Lesson, materials include definitions for each part of an ELA lesson. In the Internalizing a Lesson section, teacher guidance supports teachers with determining which Key Questions are critical to students understanding the text and Target Task, and brainstorming what support students might need to answer the key questions.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria of Indicator 1g.

Materials include a number of formal protocols and informal structures in the Teacher Tools section to support students’ developing speaking and listening skills across the year. The Academic Discourse section in the Teacher Tools includes varied protocols for whole group, small group, and partner discussions. Materials include teacher guidance to support the facilitation and monitoring of students’ evidence-based discussions. 

Materials provide varied protocols to support students’ developing speaking and listening skills. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Teacher Tools, the Types of Academic Discourse section of Academic Discourse lists the program’s speaking and listening protocols for each tier. Materials provide two whole group, four small group, and five partner discussion protocols. 

  • Whole Class Discussion Protocols: Take a Stand and Fishbowl

  • Group Discussion Protocols: Simultaneous Round Table, Rally Coach, Talking Chips, and Numbered Heads Together

  • Partner Conversation Protocols: Think-Pair-Share, Write-Pair-Share, Timed-Pair-Share, Think-Pair-Share-Revise, and Partner A/B 

Speaking and listening instruction includes facilitation, monitoring, and instructional supports for teachers. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Teacher Tools contains a section titled Academic Discourse. The Overview page of this section includes links to additional guidance: Preparing for Academic Discourse, Types of Academic Discourse, Tiers of Academic Discourse, and Monitoring and Supporting Academic Discourse. These supports, which are introduced and reinforced throughout units and linked in lessons, allow teachers to leverage their expertise and select the protocol that best meets the needs of their students and the lesson content.

• In Unit 3, Lesson 1, students brainstorm questions about fall and the teacher records the questions on the class-created KWL chart. Teacher guidance includes the following think aloud: “When I look at this cover, there are so many things I wonder about. Some things do not make sense to me. Those are things I want to learn more about. So I am going to think about some questions. I am also going to use my question words to help me. In this picture, I see lots of rain. I might ask, ‘Why does it rain in the fall?’ I also see lots of leaves falling from the trees. I might ask, ‘When do the leaves fall?’” 

• In Unit 6, Lesson 8, after reading This Is the Dream by Diane Z. Shore and Jessica Alexander aloud to the class, the teacher leads “students in a discussion of how life changed for Black people in the South after the civil rights movement.” Guidance directs teachers to “[e]ncourage students to use the words ‘justice,’ ‘freedom,’ ‘racism,’ and ‘segregation’ in their answers.”

• In Unit 8, Lesson 16,  students reflect on their learning during the unit and brainstorm “changes they can make in their lives to limit waste.” Lesson guidance includes two brainstorming options. The teacher may have students “brainstorm different steps the class can take to limit waste in the classroom,” or the teacher may have students “think about what they can do individually to limit the amount of waste that they create.” Regardless of the option selected, guidance directs the teacher to “lead students in a discussion of what steps they would need to take to make the plan happen.” 

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria of Indicator 1h.

Materials connect speaking and listening skills to the texts students are reading throughout the year. Support for teachers on how to provide instruction and support with Speaking and Listening can be found in the Academic Discourse Teacher Tool. This tool provides support structures for varied discussions and time for students to develop skills in collaborative, reciprocal conversations that build and develop ideas or the ideas of others through careful listening and responding. The majority of discussions pertain to the unit texts or topics and the Teacher Tools also provide guidance for developing and implementing student discussion protocols across the curriculum and include ways to monitor student discussions. Lessons provide sentence stems for students and recommendations for ways that teachers can model speaking and listening skills. 

Students have multiple opportunities over the school year to demonstrate what they are reading. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 3, the teacher reminds students of the expectations for engaging in discussion and how discussion norms help them be a better listener. “For example, look at the speaker, put your hand down when someone else is speaking and do not interrupt others.”

• Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 3, after students share what they like about themselves with their partners, students draw or write something they like about themselves. 

  • In Unit 2, Lesson 5, after students partner share, they return to their seats to write about what happened in the beginning, middle, and end of the Sitting Down to Eat by Bill Harley. Students include specific details in their drawings or words to show what happens.

  • In Unit 5, Lesson 17, students retell a key event from Annie and the Wild Animals by Jan Brett. Students are encouraged to include specific details from the text, as well as illustrations. 

Speaking and listening work requires students to utilize, apply, and incorporate evidence from texts and/or sources. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 4, students are directed that the goal in this unit is to continue a conversation through multiple exchanges. This means that they need to be listening closely to what their classmates are saying and then adding on to their ideas. Students have been doing this with the different Turn and Talk protocols they have been using, but now they will focus on this in whole class discussions. During the discussion, the teachers models how to use different sentence frames to add on to what their classmates are saying.

  • In Unit 4, Lesson 5, students engage in Turn and Talk about which book was their favorite and why they thought it was their favoriet. Students are reminders that when tehy are discussing they chould be listening closely to their partners; ideas and adding on or asking questions. Sentence stems are provided for discourse and after the parner discussion students share out with the class and build on to the books their classmates share using the sentence stems.

• Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media by answering questions about key details. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 2, Lesson 5, while listening to Sitting Down to Eat by Bill Harley, students answer Key Questions “individually, with a partner in a Turn and Talk, during a class discussion, or in a Stop and Jot.” Some Key Questions include, “Who was at the door? Why does the boy let the elephant in?” and “How does the little boy respond each time a new animal comes to the door? What does this show us about him?”  

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 6, while listening to Autumn Leaves by Ken Robbins, students respond to Key Questions such as, “What are some ways leaves are the same? What are some ways leaves are different?” 

  • In Unit 5, Lesson 16, while listening to The Hat by Jan Brett, students answer questions about key details such as, “How does Hedgie feel when he finds the sock? How do you know?” and “Retell what happens with the gander, cat, farm dog, and pig.”    

  • In Unit 8, Lesson 1, students listen to What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting Our Planet by Jess French. The class creates a KWL chart on the topic of waste. At the end of the first lesson, students think of any questions they have about the reading and the teacher charts these questions.

• Ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get information, or clarify something that is not understood. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 1, students work with a partner and practice crafting questions using question words—who, what, where, when, why and how—and book covers about the topic of fall. Lesson guidance states, “We will come up with some questions, and then as we read lots of different books, we can come back to the questions to see if we have answered them.”

  • In Unit 8, Lesson 1, students listen to What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting Our Planet by Jess French. At the close of the lesson, students write down why they think waste is a problem or write a question they have. Students do not answer the questions they write. 

• Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 3, students discuss what the main character in the book, I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont, likes about herself. After discussing the little girl, students turn and talk with a partner and then write or draw about what they like about themselves. The teacher does not prompt or support students with providing additional detail. 

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 1, students turn and talk about what they know about fall, and share these facts with the class to create a KWL chart. The teacher displays the covers of four to five books and models looking at one of the covers to think about questions they might ask. Students then “use the covers of the books to think of additional questions they may have about fall,” while working with a partner.  

  • In Unit 6, Lesson 1, students listen to All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penrod. After discussing ways characters are similar or different, the teacher leads students in a discussion about what the author means by “all our welcome.” Students provide specific examples from the text. Next, the teacher leads the class in a discussion on one of the following topics: what they can do to show that all people are welcome in their classroom or their own identities based on the groups identified in the text. While materials provide Suggested Supports to aid students with making text-to-self connections, the teacher does not prompt or support students with providing additional detail during the discussions. 

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria of Indicator 1i.

Materials include explicit writing instruction lessons and the writing that students are expected to produce grows throughout the year. Lessons and the Teacher Tools contain sentence frames, teacher modeling, teacher feedback, writing exemplars, and writing rubrics. The teacher models shared writing and students practice independent writing using drawings, oral sentences, and writing. Students write in response to texts individually and with partners, complete research-based writing, and develop their writing as a form of personal expression to convey information to others. Students learn to self-assess their writing using editing checklists. Materials include some digital resources, such as Google and Youtube videos. 

Materials include on-demand writing opportunities that cover a year’s worth of instruction. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, Lesson 11, students draw and write about their favorite book from the unit. The teacher records dictations. The expectation is a “clear drawing that explains why a particular book is their favorite with accurate details” and for students to try to write a sentence to match the picture. The teacher uses the Grade K Writing Rubrics to monitor students’ progress.

• In Unit 4, Lesson 5, students write letters to the author Grace Lin explaining which of her books was their favorite and why. Students use sentence frames as needed, and focus on writing complete sentences with details to explain.

• In Unit 6, Lesson 16, students create a poster using specific details about how they would be a good king in both their writing and illustration.

• In Unit 7, Lesson 10, students draw upon their learning from texts read in Lessons 8–9 to write an informational book about each stage in the life cycle of a frog.

Materials include process writing opportunities that cover a year’s worth of instruction. Opportunities for students to revise and edit are provided. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 5, Lesson 19, students draw upon their learning from texts about winter animals read aloud throughout the unit to “[w]rite a story about what happens when you follow some animal tracks.” After the teacher models the editing process, students edit a few sentences by looking for words to replace with more meaningful words and using phonics to correct their spelling.

• In Unit 6, Lesson 5, students create an All About Me poster explaining their identity. Students draw a self-portrait and other pictures which are important to their identity. Students revise, edit, and share their posters with the class. After discussion, students write one way they are similar to their classmates and one way they are different. 

• In Unit 7, Lesson 18, students write an informational narrative based on what they learned about the life cycle of a chicken and include illustrations. On Day 1, students brainstorm using the Narrative Writing Brainstorm tool. On Day 2, students “use their brainstorms to write [their] stories” and include “specific details in their illustrations and text,” “different sentence types,” and “content from the unit.” On Day 3, students edit and share their work with a partner.

• In Unit 8, Lesson 13, students draw upon their learning from texts read aloud during the unit to create an ABC poem about items that can be reduced, reused, or recycled. Each student receives a letter and their job is to think of an item starting with that letter that can be reduced, reused, or recycled. Students draw an item and write a sentence or two on how to reduce, reuse, or recycle the item. Students can use sentence frames when writing.

Materials include digital resources where appropriate. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 7, Lesson 3, the teacher may show students a YouTube video depicting the life cycle of a bean, as a Suggested Support for Building Background and Accessing Prior Knowledge. 

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria of Indicator 1j.

Materials provide multiple opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice and apply different types of writing required by the standards. Students often write about personal ideas and opinions in reaction to ideas within the text. Writing instruction often begins with a task-related discussion followed by teacher modeling and shared writing or a practice activity before students independently craft their own products. Teacher instruction attends to the different demands required of opinion, informational, and narrative writing, equipping students with the skills and knowledge to identify qualities of each type. Supports include sentence frames and prompting questions. Materials ground most writing tasks in the texts students listen to, with texts serving as the basis for prompts or models. 

Materials provide multiple opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply different genres/modes/types of writing. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Percentage or number of opportunities for opinion writing:

  • Materials provide six opportunities for opinion writing and instruction. Six of 19 opportunities (32%) are opinion in nature. 

  • In Unit 1, there are no opportunities for opinion writing.

  • In Unit 2, there is one opportunity for opinion writing. All writing opportunities for this unit are opinion in nature. 

  • In Unit 3, there are no opportunities for opinion writing.

  • In Unit 4, there are four opportunities for opinion writing. Four of five writing opportunities for this unit are opinion in nature.  

  • In Unit 5, there are no opportunities for opinion writing. 

  • In Unit 6, there are no opportunities for opinion writing.

  • In Unit 7, there are no opportunities for opinion writing. 

  • In Unit 8, there is one opportunity for opinion writing. One of two writing opportunities for this unit is opinion in nature.   

• Percentage or number of opportunities for informative/explanatory writing:

  • Materials provide nine opportunities for informative/explanatory writing and instruction. Nine of 19 (47%) opportunities are informative/explanatory in nature. 

  • In Unit 1, there are no opportunities for informative/explanatory writing. 

  • In Unit 2, there are no opportunities for informative/explanatory writing.

  • In Unit 3, there are two opportunities for informative/explanatory writing. All writing opportunities for this unit are informative/explanatory in nature. 

  • In Unit 4, there are no opportunities for informative/explanatory writing.

  • In Unit 5, there are two opportunities for informative/explanatory writing. Two of three writing opportunities for this unit are informative/explanatory in nature. 

  • In Unit 6, there are two opportunities for informative/explanatory writing. All writing opportunities for this unit are informative/explanatory. 

  • In Unit 7, there are two opportunities for informative/explanatory writing. Two of four writing opportunities for this unit are informative/explanatory in nature.

  • In Unit 8, there is one opportunity for informative/explanatory writing. One of two writing opportunities for this unit is informative/explanatory in nature. 

• Percentage or number of opportunities for narrative writing:

  • Materials provide four opportunities for narrative writing. Four of 19 (21%) opportunities are narrative in nature. 

  • In Unit 1, there are no opportunities for narrative writing.

  • In Unit 2, there are no opportunities for narrative writing.

  • In Unit 3, there are no opportunities for narrative writing.

  • In Unit 4, there is one opportunity for narrative writing. One of five writing opportunities for this unit is narrative in nature. 

  • In Unit 5, there is one opportunity for narrative writing. One of three writing opportunities for this unit is narrative in nature. 

  • In Unit 6, there are no opportunities for narrative writing.

  • In Unit 7, there are two opportunities for narrative writing. Two of four writing opportunities for this unit are narrative in nature. 

  • In Unit 8, there are no opportunities for narrative writing.

• Explicit instruction in opinion writing:

  • In Unit 2, Lesson 11, the teacher explains that an opinion needs to include why. The teacher models how to write an opinion providing details the students can use.

• Explicit instruction in informative/explanatory writing:

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 10, the teacher models a Think Aloud while “drawing a picture that explains what happens to leaves in the fall.” After explaining that adding labels makes information clearer for readers, the teacher models “labeling key parts of the picture,” while reinforcing “how to print letters correctly.”  

• Explicit instruction in narrative writing: 

  • In Unit 4, Lesson 21, the teacher uses the Narrative Writing Brainstorm Graphic Organizer (Kindergarten) to model brainstorming story topics. On Day 1, the teacher explains what is included in the beginning, middle, and end of a story and models brainstorming each section. On Day 2, the teacher explains why it is necessary to include specific details in illustrations and models including specific details in an illustration for the first event of the story. The teacher then models writing one to two sentences to match the illustration. On Day 3, the teacher models how to show character feelings by adding facial expressions or speech bubbles and adds a sentence about the character’s feelings. On Day 4, the teacher models using capitals and periods to edit sentences. 

Different genres/modes/types of writing are distributed throughout the school year. For example: 

• Students have opportunities to engage in opinion writing. 

  • Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an opinion or preference about the topic or book (e.g., My favorite book is...).

    • In Unit 4, Lesson 5, students write an opinion letter to Grace Lin explaining which book was their favorite and why. Students draw a picture to match. 

• Students have opportunities to engage in informative/explanatory writing. For example: 

  • Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.

    • In Unit 8, Lesson Lesson 14, students begin a multi-lesson project in which they write an informational book “to teach their families about the Three R’s.” On Day 1, students “write about one of the Three R’s,” which will serve as one page in their informational book. Guidance encourages the teacher to use class anchor charts and the Sentence-Level Feedback and Support (K–5th Grade) resource, along with targeted feedback, with students who are struggling to write complete sentences. Students write about another one of the three R’s on Day 2, resulting in another finished page in their book. Materials provide the same supports as Day 1. Students write about the last of the Three R’s on Day 3. As a support, the teacher may “pull a small group to review with students how to include specific details or how to use transitions.” Students “reread their work and edit for capital letters, punctuation, complete sentences, and spelling,” and “use the Editing Checklist (K–2) to assess their own writing.” Students create a plan to limit waste in the classroom or in their lives. Students explain why their plan is the best plan.

• Students have opportunities to engage in narrative writing. For example: 

  • Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened.

    • In Unit 7, Lesson 4, students write about one stage in a sunflower’s life. In Lesson 8 and Lesson 9, students write and illustrate one life cycle they have been studying. In Lesson 10, after reading another story about the life cycle of a frog, students go back to their writing and illustrations and add more details. In Lesson 14, students create their own story about the life of a chick using information from three texts to support their writing. Students brainstorm, illustrate with details, and use a variety of sentence types over a period of three days.

Where appropriate, writing opportunities are connected to texts and/or text sets (either as prompts, models, anchors, or supports). For example: 

• In Unit 1, Lesson 10, students write and draw about what they are going to do to hold up one another after reading the book, You Hold Me Up by Monique Gray Smith. 

• In Unit 3, Lesson 7, after reading the book Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert, students make their own leaf person scene. Students write a sentence explaining where the leaf person has gone and share it with a partner. 

• In Unit 4, Lesson 10, students write an opinion letter to Yuyi Morales explaining which of her books was their favorite. Students must include specific examples and facts from the book to explain why it was their favorite.

• In Unit 7, Lesson 2, after listening to the book What Alive? by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld, students write in response to the prompt, “How can you tell something is alive? What do all living things need to survive?” Students draw one thing that is alive and one thing that is not living.

• In Unit 8, Lesson 14, students write an informational book to explain the “Three R’s” (reduce, reuse, recycle). Students use information they have learned from texts read throughout the unit. 

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria of Indicator 1k.

Materials provide explicit instruction, practice, and application for evidence-based writing opportunities across the school year. Although writing lessons do not occur daily, materials provide writing lessons in every unit. Writing opportunities integrate speaking, listening and reading and connect to the texts students listen to. Students use details from the readings in their illustrations and labels. The teacher leads discussions, models the writing process, and provides sentence frames prior to students engaging in independent writing. Students also have opportunities to plan their writing orally with a partner before illustrating, labeling, and writing sentences.

Materials provide frequent opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply writing using evidence. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, Lesson 11, the teacher leads a discussion of different reasons books could be a favorite and  provides sentence frames “My favorite book was ___. I liked it because___.” and “My favorite book was ___ because ___.” The teacher models drawing a favorite book including specific details from the book in the drawing. Next, the teacher models writing a matching sentence. 

• In Unit 3, Lesson 10, the teacher models drawing a picture that explains what happens to leaves in the fall including details using Think Aloud. The teacher explains that ideas become clear to readers by adding labels that identify different parts of the illustration. The teacher models labeling key parts of the picture. While modeling, the teacher reinforces how to print letters correctly. Students then write their own text about what happens to leaves in the fall. The teacher circulates and prompts students by asking, “Tell me about your picture. What other details can you include? What label could you put for x?” ensuring students are able to answer using complete sentences. Lastly, students use their pictures to teach a partner about what happens to leaves in the fall. 

• In Unit 4, Lesson 15, the teacher leads a discussion of which Monica Brown books were the students' favorites and the reasons why. Then the teacher provides a sentence frame: “I liked____, because____.” The teacher models writing a letter to Monica Brown during Shared Writing and models using specific nouns and a matching picture. 

• In Unit 8, Lesson 16, the teacher leads a brainstorming session on plans to reduce waste and the steps needed to make the plan work. Next, the teacher models writing the plan and models using “I think” to make their opinion clear. The teacher provides students with four sentence frames to use during independent writing. 

Writing opportunities are focused on students’ recall of information to develop opinions from reading closely and working with evidence from texts and sources. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, Lesson 11, students draw a  picture and write one to two sentences about their favorite book from the unit. Students include a reason why using specific details from the book. 

• In Unit 4, Lesson 10, students write a letter to the author Yuyi Morales explaining which book from the unit was their favorite and why. Students must include the title of the book and a specific detail from the book to explain why the book is their favorite. Students draw a picture to support their choice. 

• In Unit 8, Lesson 16, students write a plan to reduce waste and explain why their plan is the best. Students use the words “I think” and explain why using “because.” Students synthesize knowledge of different ways to reduce waste learned from the unit study to develop their personal plans.