Kindergarten - Gateway 2

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the expectation that texts are organized around a topic/topics to build students' knowledge and vocabulary which will over time support and help grow students’ ability to comprehend complex texts independently and proficiently.

In Kindergarten, each module is centered around a topic or a theme that relates to Grade 1 and 2 topics.  Modules include both science and social studies topics that help build knowledge. 

Examples include but are not limited to: 

• In Module 1, the theme is “Curious about Kindergarten,” where students learn about school and Kindergarten. Some of the texts include: Keisha Ann Can! by Daniel Kirk, School Days! by Jesus Cervantes, and A Squiggly Story by Andrew Larsen.
• In Module 3, the topic is “My Community Heroes,” which teaches students about what makes a community. Some of the texts in this module include: Places in My Community by Bobbie Kalman, Quinito’s Neighborhood by Ina Cumpiano, and A Piece of Home by Jeri Watts. 
• In Module 4, the science topic is “Happy Healthy Me,” where students learn about how to be the healthiest version of themselves. Texts in this module include: Being Fit by Valerie Bodden, Germs are not for Sharing by Elizabeth Verdick, and Get Up and Go! by Nancy Carlson. 
• In Module 6, the topic is “Home of the Free and the Brave,” which is about the social studies topic of America's traditions and symbols. Examples of texts in this module include: In Our Country by Susan Canizares and Daniel Moreton, Take Me Out to the Ball Game by Jack Norworth, and President’s Day by Judith Bauer Stamper. 
• In Module 7, the topic is “Zoom In!” where students learn about what they can learn when they look closely at objects and things. Texts in this module include Not a Box by Antoinette Portis, Look-Alike Animals by Robin Bernard, and Hey, Little Ant by Phillip and Hannah Hoose.
• In Module 8, the science topic is “From Plant to Plate” where students learn how plants become food. Texts in this module include Plants Feed Me by Lizzy Rockwell, Planting Seeds by Kathryn Clay, and Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner. 
• In Module 9, the science topic is “Animal Habitats,” where students learn about animal habitats. Texts in this module include: What am I? Where am I? by Ted Lewin, Welcome Home, Bear by Il Sung Na, and In the Tall, Tall Grass by Denise Fleming. 
  

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meets the expectation that materials contain a coherently sequenced set of text-dependent questions and tasks that require students to analyze the integration of knowledge and ideas across both individual and multiple texts.

Throughout the Kindergarten materials, students are asked a sequence of text-dependent questions and tasks that require students to analyze the integration of knowledge and ideas across individual and multiple texts. Students are exposed to a variety of topics during Read Aloud Books and Big Books. Students are then asked questions to help build and integrate knowledge of both nonfiction topics as well as fictional stories and how they are organized. 

Throughout the program, students answer coherently sequenced sets of text-dependent questions and tasks that require students to analyze knowledge and ideas across individual texts. Some examples include:

• In Module 4, students learn about being healthy. In Lesson 3, students listen to Being Fit by Valerie Bodden. Students are then asked a series of questions to build knowledge. They are asked to turn and talk about ways to be healthy, and then they draw a picture of something they do to be healthy. Students pick a sentence frame to write and draw about the topic. The sentence frames are as follows:  “I have energy after I...”, “One way to exercise is to...”,  “One healthy snack is...”. 
• In Module 6, Lesson 11, students listen to Martin Luther King, Jr. by Marion Dane Bauer where they learn about Martin Luther King Jr. While reading, the teacher has the students stop to turn and talk about what they are learning. One page 9, students are asked, “Why couldn’t Martin Luther King, Jr. play in the same parks and eat in the same restaurants as white people?” Then on page 21, students are asked, “Why did black people do things like sit at lunch counters and walk alone into schools?” After listening to the text, students draw and write something that they learned about Martin Luther King, Jr. 
• In Module 7, Lesson 3, students listen to Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena and focus on the idea of setting. Students are guided to identify and describe the setting in the middle of the story. The questions include “Now where are Nana and CJ?" "What does it smell like?", and "What does it sound like?”
• In Module 8, Lesson 1, students listen to Plants Feed Me by Lizzy Rockwell. While the teacher reads aloud, questions are asked to help build knowledge. Questions include “Where does bread come from?"  "Does it come from plants?” and “Who eats plants?” Then students discuss that plants feed us and the process of a seed becoming a plant. Students draw a picture of each step, and write a sentence for each step. 
• In Module 9, Lesson 11, students listen to A Day and Night in the Desert by Caroline Arnold. Students learn about happenings in the desert during the day versus at night.  While reading, the teacher stops and asks questions such as, “Why do you think the author includes the time on every page?" "Why do you think so many animals come out at night to find food?” and “What time is it in the desert now?” on certain pages. 

In addition to integrating knowledge across individual texts, students are also asked questions that require students to integrate knowledge across multiple texts. Examples include:

• In Module 2, Lesson 10, students read the pre-decodable texts, Sam by Dana Schlein and At Bat by Dana Schlein, and then are asked how the stories connect. 
• In Module 6, Lesson 8, students listen to the familiar song, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” and “Take Me Out to the Yakyu” by Aaron Meshon,  and then compare and contrast the foods eaten in each text in a class discussion. In Lesson 10, students then fill in a Venn diagram with pictures or words comparing and contrasting baseball in America with Yakyu in Japan. 
• In Module 7, Lesson 14, students compare the books Me...Jane by Patrick McDonnell and Jane Goodall and the Chimpanzees by Betsey Chessen and Pamela Chanko to learn about Jane Goodall. Then, students are lead into a discussion about what are the similarities and differences in the two books.
• In Module 8, Lesson 9, students compare what they read in Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner with the Big Book, Earthworms by Lisa J. Amstutz. Students are asked similarities between the two books . Students are also asked what Earthworms tells us about why worms tunnel underground.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meets the expectation that the questions and tasks support students’ ability to complete culminating tasks in which they demonstrate their knowledge of a topic through integrated skills (e.g., combination of reading, writing, speaking, listening).

The Kindergarten materials include culminating tasks that integrate reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills that require students to demonstrate knowledge of a topic. Students listen to multiple texts throughout each module based on a topic or a theme. At the end of each module, students watch a video that helps them synthesize information from the module. Students also discuss what they have learned over the course of the module by discussing an essential question prior to completing a culminating task. During each four-week module, students engage in tasks that require a combination of literacy skills including reading, writing, listening, and speaking. These tasks are consistently at the end of each close read and read-aloud session, which supports students’ completion of the culminating task at the end of each module. 

Examples of culminating tasks that require students to demonstrate knowledge of a topic through reading, writing, speaking, and listening include:

• In Module 1, students learn about Kindergarten and kindness by listening to a variety of literary and nonfiction texts. The culminating task requires students to incorporate what they have learned, including an end-of-module video about the importance of kindness, so students can discuss some ways that children can spread kindness in school. Then students discuss one way that they learned to show kindness from one of the module texts. This task integrates listening, speaking, and writing skills. 
• In Module 2, students learn about what makes each person special. In Lesson 20, students watch and listen to a video called “One of a Kind” and discuss what being “one of a kind” means. Students then discuss with a partner why it is important to celebrate and respect each other's differences by reviewing the texts and the activities that they have completed over the course of the four week module. Students write one reason why they are “one of a kind.” 
• In Module 4, students learn about what it means to be healthy. At the end of the module, students watch and listen to a video about a character named Paul who gets rid of germs by washing his hands. Students synthesize the information from the module and discuss what they know about what it means to be healthy. This integrates listening and speaking skills from the module, as well as knowledge of the topic. 
• In Module 5, students learn about what it means to try hard. At the end of the module, students watch a video about a boy who works hard to help others and then they discuss with a partner one step that Zack took to meet his goal. Then students engage in a discussion and identify a goal for something new that they want to learn. They record this on paper and share with the class. This task integrates listening, speaking, and writing. 
• In Module 6, students learn about what makes the USA special, and in Lesson 20, students watch and listen to a video called “I Have a Dream.” Then they discuss what Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream was. Students discuss what they learned throughout the module about what makes America special by taking into account the texts and activities from the module. Then they write why America is beautiful. Some of the activities that lead students to successfully complete this task include, in Lesson 11, students listen to Martin Luther King, Jr. by Marion Dane Bauer and discuss how Martin Luther King, Jr. made the USA better. 
• In Module 8, students learn about plants. Students use the module texts, activities, and an end-of-module video to discuss which seeds grow the best and what helps those seeds grow. This activity requires students to integrate their understanding of growing seeds and the skills of reading, listening, and speaking. Students then complete a worksheet where they label the parts of a plant, which requires students to write.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meets the expectation that materials include a cohesive, year-long plan for students to interact with and build key academic vocabulary words in and across texts. 

In each module, students are taught three Big Idea Words that relate to the topic of the module and Power Words, which are academic vocabulary words for each of the anchor texts. These Power Words are repeated throughout the lessons. The Big Idea Words are reviewed at the end of Week 1 but not again in the module. Power Words are introduced with each new anchor text and are reviewed at the end of the corresponding week. Vocabulary words are practiced with a specific routine and picture cards, through guided discussion and writing with sentence frames. Written responses to texts often include vocabulary words as well. Each module also includes a focus vocabulary skill. According to the Guiding Principles and Strategies Book, vocabulary instruction includes read-aloud lessons, oral language lessons, interactive reading, and shared reading. 

Students learn three Big Idea Words at the start of each module that correspond to the topic. Students complete the same vocabulary routine for both Big Idea Words and Power Words.  This routine includes the following steps:  1. The teacher reads the word and then students repeat it. 2. The teacher explains the meaning. 3. The class discusses examples. Some specific examples of vocabulary instruction of the three Big Idea Words include:

• In Module 1, the topic is Kindergarten. The three Big Idea Words are discover, dream, and partners. After learning the words and completing the vocabulary routine, the teacher shows a video called “The First Day.” Prior to the viewing, the teachers states, “In this video we will watch a girl getting ready for her first day of school and wondering what she will discover in Kindergarten.” After watching the video, students engage in a Think-Pair-Share to discuss something new in Kindergarten that they are excited to discover. 
• In Module 2, the topic is things that make us special. The three Big Idea Words are celebrate, different, and special. Students learn the Big Idea Words in Lesson 1 by following the vocabulary routine and looking at vocabulary cards. Students use a sentence frame to write about the Big Idea Words by using the sentence frame, “I am special because _______.”
• In Module 5, students learn the words practice, proud, and success. Students watch the video “Training Wheels,” and the teacher prefaces the video by saying that they will watch a girl practice riding a bike until she has success. Then in Lesson 11, students write a story about practicing something to get better at. 
• In Module 6, the topic is United States history and traditions. The Big Idea Words are belong, country, and right. In Lesson 1, students learn the Big Idea Words, and then in Lesson 5, students answer the question, “What is one type of place in our country?” Students also practice oral language skills by engaging in a Turn-and-Talk by discussing one country they want to visit. 

Students learn academic vocabulary for each new anchor text as well. Some specific examples of these words and instruction include:

• In Module 1, Lesson 2, before listening to Keisha Ann Can! by Daniel Kirk, students are taught the words plan, polite, and share. During the read-aloud, students stop and discuss the words as they listen and turn and talk to practice using the words in sentences. 
• In Module 2, some of the power words for the anchor text include enormous, exception, participate, and serious. The same vocabulary routine is used as Big Idea Words are introduced. Students also practice using the vocabulary words for oral language development. In Lesson 10, students engage in a Think-Pair-Share using a sentence frame for the word bother. 
• In Module 3, Lesson 7, while listening to Quinito’s Neighborhood by Ina Cumpiano, students learn the words busy, help, and neighborhood. Students learn the words with the vocabulary routine and the vocabulary cards. For the word neighborhood, the front of the card has a definition and on the back is a picture. 

In each module, there is also a specific vocabulary skill that is taught. Examples include:

• In Module 1, students learn how to use word clues to determine the meaning of unknown words. 
• In Module 2, students learn about synonyms and antonyms. In Lesson 6, students connect the skill with the topic of being special. Students discuss how comparing themselves to others by looking at similarities and differences makes them special.
• In Module 6, the skill students learn is focusing on meaning clues in sentences to help understand the vocabulary word. 
• In Module 7, students learn about words that are similar. In Lesson 10, after listening to I Know the River Loves Me by Maya Christine Gonzalez, students discuss the words  jump and leap. Students think about the meaning of different words and then put them in order from smallest to biggest action and use a turn and talk to discuss the order.
• In Module 8, students learn about multiple-meaning words. For example, students learn about the word plant and discuss how it can be a noun and a verb.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meets the expectation that materials contain a year long, cohesive plan of writing instruction and tasks which support students in building and communicating substantive understanding of topics and texts. 

The Kindergarten materials include writing that spans the whole year. Writing is aligned to the standards and support students’ growth throughout the year.  Kindergarten students begin with pictures, then move to labels and pictures, sentence frames, and finally to writing simple and complete sentences. The Kindergarten materials include well-designed lesson plans covering a variety of genres, both process and on-demand writing, and include teacher and student protocols. Students receive explicit instruction that guides them through the writing process in Writing Workshops lessons. Lessons also include mentor texts that provide students with opportunities to examine the text features of a specific genre and the styles and techniques of authors. The materials include a writing development guide for Kindergarten and writing rubrics. The materials also include rubrics for informational, opinion, narrative, and research writing. Each rubric is 1 to 4 points with categories for ideas and organization, word choice, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and presentation. 

At the beginning of the year, students begin the year with drawing and writing with sentence frames. Students also complete many shared writing pieces. Examples include:

• In Module 1, Lesson 3, students listen to Keisha Ann Can! by Daniel Kirk and draw a picture of the characters and setting of the story.
• In Module 1 of Writing Workshop, students write a class opinion piece that tells what they like about Kindergarten. Students continue this process of shared writing over the course of several weeks about their favorite books, games, and what they like about school. 
• In Module 2, Lesson 13 students listen to Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems and draw the problem and solution. 
• In Module 3, Lesson 10, after reading ABC: The Alphabet from the Sky by Benedikt Gross and Joey Lee, students draw a hidden letter in the classroom. 

In the middle of the year, Kindergarten students combine pictures with words. By Module 6, students complete sentence frames for on-demand writing in response to reading. Students also identify central idea and key details in Writing Workshop. Examples include:

• In Module 4, Lessons 6 to 10, students use the text Get Up and Go! by Nancy Carlson to plan, draft, revise, and edit a research paper about one way to exercise. 
• In Module 5, Lesson 10, students write to compare and contrast two versions of The Little Red Hen. Students use Venn diagrams and complete it either by writing or drawing. 
• In Module 6 of Writing Workshop, students write an informational text about a holiday and how they celebrate it. Students identify the central idea, find one to two key details, and write with mostly complete sentences. 

By the end of the year, students complete multiple sentence frames about a topic in response to a text. In Writing Workshop, the expectation increases from writing four sentences to seven sentences, and students are expected to include a strong start and closing. Students also include diagrams with labels in their research along with pictures. Specific examples include: 

• In Module 7, Lesson 15, after reading Jane Goodall and the Chimpanzees by Betsey Chessen and Pamela Chanko, students write about one thing they learned about Jane Goodall. Students write a sentence and include a picture. 
• In Module 7 of Writing Workshop, students work independently on a story about an animal. 
• In Module 9, Lesson 20, students listen to Polar Animals by Wade Cooper, and complete sentence frames, writing in first person as if they are the animal.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the expectation that materials include a progression of focused, shared research and writing projects to encourage students to develop knowledge and understanding of a topic using texts and other source materials.

The Kindergarten materials include research projects across the year. Each module has an Inquiry and Research Based Project related to the module topic. The projects are four weeks long. They develop students’ knowledge on the topic as well as teach students research skills. They also integrate all skills including reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Research Based Projects often include a creative aspect and involve group work. Materials include two rubrics for all of the projects. The Inquiry and Research Project Rubric measures students on collaboration, research skills, content, and presentation. The Research Writing Rubric measures students on ideas and organization, word choice, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and presentation. The routine for research is the same throughout the year. In Week 1, students learn about the project and complete brainstorming. In Week 2, students research and plan their project. In Week 3, students complete their research project. In Week 4, students reflect on their project, share, and celebrate. 

Specific examples of Research Based Projects in Kindergarten include but are not limited to:

• In Module 1, students collaborate to write a guidebook to inform preschoolers about Kindergarten. They each complete one page of the guidebook and then compile these into a book. 
• In Module 2, students create a “Who am I?” flap book. In Week 1, students use a Think-Pair-Share to brainstorm questions to help them learn about classmates. In Week 2, students interview each other. They record the answers with words and pictures. In Week 3, students write sentences about their partner for their book. In Week 4, students share their book. 
• In Module 3, students complete a research project about building a community. In Week 1, students brainstorm places in their community. In Week 2, students gather information from local photos, maps, and walks in their community. In Week 3, students build a model of the place by using various recycled materials. They write to share information while working collaboratively on a large table covered in paper so students can draw and lay out streets with labels and common signs and logos from the community. In Week 4, students share.
• In Module 5, students collaborate to take action by working on a service learning project. They create a poster to reflect their service learning project. 
• In Module 6, students complete a project about flags where they create their own town flag. In Week 1, students learn about the American flag, including the colors, shapes, and design. In Week 2, students research national and local symbols and the class makes a class chart of the symbols. In Week 3, students create their own town flag with a symbol key. In Week 4, they share their flags. 
• In Module 7, students create a five senses poster to teach others about how the five senses let people “zoom in” on the world around them. In Week 1, students review the senses and share examples of how senses help to observe the environment and objects. In Week 2, students research information about each of the five senses and identify objects that show how humans use each sense. Books and media are provided. In Week 3, students plan their poster and create their poster. In Week 4, students present their poster to the class. 

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meets the expectation that materials provide a design, including accountability, for how students will regularly engage in a volume of independent reading either in or outside of class.

Kindergarten materials include many supports to foster independent reading. Every module has a Building Reading Independence section with teacher guidance. The Guiding Principles and Strategies book include sections for Reading Independence and Family and Community, which explain how to help students become independent readers in and out of the classroom. There is a daily reading block which includes 45 to 60 minutes for small-group reading and independent reading with literacy centers, decodable texts, skill practice, and inquiry and research projects. Each lesson within the module has a “Build Independence” section. There are also tracking sheets such as reading logs included to help keep students accountable. There are some activities for home learning including printables and electronic tools as well as family letters. It should be noted that the home activities appear to be optional. While students are given a reading log, there is no specific guidance on a process for accountability or suggested time for nightly reading.

In the Guiding Principles and Strategies book for Kindergarten, there is a section titled “Building Reading Independence.” In this section, there is guidance on organizing the classroom library, self-selecting books, and increasing reading stamina over time. Materials include a printable reading log to track independent reading books, as well as a printable reading goal sheet. There is also a printable book review template. The materials also include a reading interest survey for students and a family reading survey to do at home. The teacher is provided with a Child Reading Map to make notes about student interests and habits to help students self-select books as needed. Teachers are encouraged to give students a reading bag or book bin to store leveled readers, Start Right Readers, and little books to build fluency and experience reading success. At the beginning of the year, students may just flip through books, but towards the end of the year, reading stamina should increase. 

In the Guiding Principles and Strategies book for Kindergarten, there is a section called “Family and Community-Learning Beyond the Classroom.” This section provides guidance on messages that should be sent home. In this section, there are printables such as worksheets, letter books, Start Right Readers, and words to know. Teachers are told to explain the importance of the value of reading to family. There is also an opportunity for families to access an online library of eBooks for children to listen to and read along with at home. Families are encouraged to read aloud to children so students can practice foundational reading skills at the “just right” level. The Family Letter for each module reminds families of the importance of reading with children each day. Questions are also provided such as in Module 3, families are encouraged to ask, “What is the story about?” and “What clue in the picture shows what the word _______ means?”. 

In the beginning of each module, there is a section called “Building Reading Independence,” which highlights ways to build reading independence. For example in Module 2, this section shows the Rigby Leveled Readers for Levels A to E, corresponding charts of targeting reading behavior for each level, guidance on forming guided reading groups, and guidance on setting reading goals. During literacy centers, students also engage in reading independently. Examples of this include students practicing reading either Start Right Readers or Leveled Readers to a stuffed animal in Module 2 and whisper-reading leveled texts in Module 6.