Kindergarten - Gateway 2

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten Pathways to Reading meet the criteria for materials contain a teacher edition with ample and useful annotations and suggestions on how to present the content in the student materials. Where applicable, materials include teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning.

Pathways to Reading Kindergarten manuals provide detailed lessons regarding how to present the foundational skill content to students. Materials are provided for whole group lessons in the "Large Group Manual." The "Small Group Manual" is used in conjunction with the Kindergarten "Small Group Folder" for documenting data for the small group lessons. The "Flip & Assist" book supports the "Small Group Manual" providing strategies along with possible student responses for help with remediation. "Reproducibles" are provided for whole and small group activities. Sample lessons are provided in the video clips to provide support and provide modeling for the teacher. While consistent routines and activities are used throughout the year, the layout of the "Kindergarten Large Group Instructor Manual" often necessitates flipping back and forth through pages during the daily lesson to find the lessons that correspond with each day.

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

• There are multiple teacher manuals which include:
• "Kindergarten Large Group."
• "Kindergarten Small Group."
• "Kindergarten Small Group Folder."
• "Kindergarten Assessments."
• "Kindergarten Flip & Assist."
• "Kindergarten Advanced Oral PA Development."
• "Kindergarten Reproducibles."
• "Online Video Library for Teachers."
• In the "Large Group Manual," page 28, teachers are provided with the "Week 3 Overview" which lists the topics, days, and what lessons teachers should use on each day. Lessons are often repeated on multiple days. For example, “review n p. 34” is listed for Days 2-5.

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

• In the "Large Group Manual," page 7, the "Week 1 Overview" provides phonemic awareness exercises for Day 1 through Day 5. For example: "Bubble Gum Words," “Pretend a word is a piece of gum. Tell the students to put the word in their mouths and chew it up. Then grab the end of the words and str….tch it (say it slowly as the hand extends away from the body) like a piece of gum. For example: ‘/faaaaaaaaaaat/’.”
• In the "Large Group Manual," page 24, Directions for "Sight Word Olympics" is provided. “Tell the students that there are 25 (plus) words you want them to learn because they will need them every time they read and write.” When students are ready to “run the race”, they must read the words in less than 20 seconds.
• In the "Large Group Manual," page 75, teachers are provided with instructions for introducing the /t/ sound. The chart is broken into five columns: "1. Make the Sound/Question, 2. Describe Choice Questions, 3. Choose a Picture, 4. Spell, and 5. Group Name list of Words." The column headers for teaching sounds are consistent throughout the manual.

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

• Videos are provided on the Pathways to Reading Website for teacher use. Topics addressed in the videos include fluency, and phonemic awareness. Videos provide demonstrations of a teacher working with students on the strategies taught in Pathways to Reading. For example, the following is noted:
• There are consonant articulation practice videos for teachers such as “Introduction of Exploders: p/b, t/d, c, k/g, ch/j.”
• Video lessons on how to build "Vowel Town" are designed for teachers and students to watch together. The materials state, “If you are nervous about building vowel town or if it is your first time to build it and you would like assistance this video set will provide the necessary support. Learn to say the vowel sounds along with your class!”
• The online video library includes modeling of specific student activities such as the "Phonemic Awareness" exercises, video number 2 and "Old Word/New Word," video number 11.
• Kindergarten "Reproducibles" and Kindergarten "Assessments Masters" are provided in digital form on the Pathways to Reading website.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten Pathways to Reading meet the criteria for materials contain full, adult-level explanations and examples of the foundational skills concepts included in the program so teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject, as necessary.

Lessons throughout the Kindergarten Pathways to Reading manuals contain explanations and examples of foundational skills being taught such as detailed annotations of phonological instruction, speech concepts, and further, suggestions for professional reading. The Kindergarten "Large Group Manual" contains a "Teacher Preparation" section that provides adult-level explanations of foundational skills concepts such as phonemic awareness exercises including blending, segmenting and rhyming, and phonics skills. The "Flip and Assist Manual" provides explanations and examples of foundational skills. Accompanying online video tutorials are located on the Pathways to Reading website. For example, the following is noted:

• Complete, detailed adult-level explanations are provided for each foundational skill taught at the grade level. For example, the following is noted:
• In the "Large Group Manual," Teacher Preparation Tab, page 1, “Phonemic awareness is the ability to notice that spoken words are comprised of smaller units of sound called phonemes.”
• In the "Large Group Manual," Teacher Preparation Tab, page 4, voiced and unvoiced consonant sounds are explained. Voiced: “Vocal cords vibrate when the sound is made. Make the /z/ sound then the /s/ sound while hand rests on the front of the throat. The /z/ has a vibration because the voice is on.” Unvoiced: “Vibration is not felt for the unvoiced sound /s/. The sound is more like a whisper.”
• In the "Large Group Manual," Teacher Preparation Tab, page 9, an explanation of how to make the /p/ sound is described. The teacher is given 6 detailed steps to complete for each sound: "1. Make the Sound, 2. Describe the Mouth Action, 3. Anchor with a Picture, 4. Spell, 5. Find the "Pal & Spell" and 6. Determine Loud/Whispery." Each step is detailed, for example, Step 2. Describe Mouth Action, states, “What part of your mouth makes the air explode the lips or the tongue? Circle one Lips Tongue.” At the bottom of the chart student assists are provided.

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

• In the "Large Group Manual," page 19, a detailed example of how to lead students in stretching sounds is provided, “Let’s stretch the word pig. Get your hands ready to stretch that bubblegum word. Get your lips ready for that first sound. Look at my mouth… (Have your lips pressed together in readiness to make the /p/ sound.) Let’s stretch it: /pi………….g/. (The /p/ cannot be stretched so the mouth action is held a few seconds and then the sound is said simultaneously with the vowel sound and the vowel is stretched to the end of the word.)”
• In the "Large Group Manual," Teacher Preparation Tab, page 35, the teacher is provided with examples and rules for c and g similarities. For example, Guide #6 states, “When -c is followed by an -e, -i, or -y it always has the /s/ sound.” Examples are provided: cite, ice, cell. Guide #7 states, “When -g is followed by an -e, -i, or-y it may have the /j/ or /g/ sound.” Examples are provided: “get, geese, gem, gym.”
• In the "Flip and Assist Manual," page 18, "Things to Note!" explains the concept of onset and rhyme, “An onset in a one syllable word is all of the sounds that come before the vowel. A rime is the vowel and all of the sounds after it. For example in the word dog the /d/ is the onset and the /og/ is the rime. Words rhyme when their ending rimes are composed of the same order of phonemes (not necessarily letters). For example the rime in float is /ote/. The rime in wrote is /ote/.”

The materials reviewed for Pathways to Reading Kindergarten meet the criteria for scope and sequence clearly delineate the sequence in which phonological awareness skills are to be taught, with a clear, evidence-based explanation for the expected hierarchy of phonemic awareness competence.

Materials provide an evidence-based explanation for the expected hierarchy by which phonological awareness skills are introduced and taught. The "Large Group Manual" explains the expected hierarchy for teaching phonemic awareness. Lessons throughout the manual adhere to the phonemic awareness progression.

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

• In the "Advanced Oral PA Development Manual," pages 1-2, materials cite David Kilpatrick’s levels of phonological awareness (i.e., Basic Syllable, Onset Rime, Basic phoneme, and Advanced Phoneme) utilized in Kilpatrick’s, Phonological Awareness Screening Test (PAST). The PAST is administered by the program. “In order to use the Phonological Awareness Screening Test (PAST) as a measure of growth, the sequence of PRT Oral PA lessons mirror the sequence of levels used in the test.”

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

• In the "Large Group Manual," "Teacher Preparation Tab," page 3, a "Student Skill Progression Chart" is provided. Under, "Progressions of Phonemic Awareness Skills World of Sound," the following steps are listed: “Student learns 1. to say words slowly, 2. to blend sounds into a spoken word, 3. to segment off the first or last sound from a cvc word, 4. to segment a cvc word into its three phonemes, and 5. to hold and compare the sounds in two words to determine when a sound is added, omitted or the order of sounds is shifted.”

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

• In the "Addendum," Kindergarten, "PTR Phonemic Awareness and Phonics Continuum," the following hierarchy is outlined:
• Stretch, blend, segment.
• Begin/end/rhyming/alliteration.
• Segment/blend-manipulate CVC.
• Segment/blend-manipulate CCVC/CVCC.
• In the "Advanced Oral PA Development Manual," Lesson 1, students learn to blend two syllable compound words. In Lesson 5, students blend onset to rime to create CVC words. In Lesson 10, students substitute sounds in a CVC rime.

The materials reviewed for Pathways to Reading Kindergarten meet the criteria for scope and sequence clearly delineate an intentional sequence in which phonics skills are to be taught, with a clear explanation for the order of the sequence.

Materials provide a scope and sequence for the order in which phonics skills are taught. Research is cited in the Kindergarten "Large Group Manual" in the section located behind the "Teacher Preparation Tab." The "Large Group Manual," "Teacher Preparation" pages outline the patterns or phonics generalizations that will be taught.

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

• In the "Large Group Manual," "Teacher Preparation Tab," page 32, the teacher is provided with a table that lists the order of consonant and vowel introduction:
• Pool 1-Consonants-m, n, f, v, p, b, Vowel a
• Pool 2-Consonants-t, d, c, k, g, Vowel i
• Pool 3-Consonants-s, z, j, Vowel u
• Pool 4-Consonants-l, r, Vowel o
• Pool 5-Consonants-w, h, y, Vowel e
• In the "Large Group Manual," "Teacher Preparation Tab," page 66, the materials provide the "Phonemic Awareness and Phonics Continuum." The Phonics sequence listed for Kindergarten is: short vowels (a, e, i, o, u), basic consonants (b, c, d, f, g, j, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w, y, z), consonant digraphs (th, sh, ch, wh, ng), and long vowels (a_e, ee, i_e, o_e, u_e).

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

• In the "Large Group Manual," "Teacher Preparation Tab," page 1, research on phonemic awareness states, “Explicit instruction in phonemic awareness combined with explicit instruction in sound/spelling correspondences for kindergarten children was more powerful than instruction in sound-spelling correspondences alone and more powerful than language activities in improving reading skills.”
• In the "Large Group Manual," "Teacher Preparation Tab," page 45, research states, “A skilled reader is able to read familiar words accurately and quickly because all of the letters have been secured in memory. In contrast, a weak reader reads words less accurately and more slowly and may even misread similarly spelled words such as short, shirt, and sheet because only some of the letters are connected to phonemes in memory. Words remain poorly connected when readers habitually guess words from partial letters and contextual cues without analyzing how all of the letters in spellings match up to phonemes in pronunciations.”
• In the "Large Group Manual," "Teacher Preparation Tab," page 45, the researcher Linnea Ehri’s theory on reading fluency is referenced to explain the progression of readers: “phonetic stage of reading (one in which they attend to each sound in a word) in order to reach a more advanced stage of reading in which words are decoded by parts (i.e., /d/, /ent/, rather than /d/, /e/, /n/, /t/).”
• Ehri, 1995. Stages of development in learning to read words by sight. Journal of Research in Reading, 18, 116-125.

Phonics instruction is based on high utility patterns and/or common phonics generalizations. For example, the following is noted:

• In the "Large Group Manual," "Teacher Preparation Tab," pages 33-37, materials outline the patterns or phonics generalizations that will be taught:
• Many of the generalizations are high utility such as #1, ck added to the end of words with 1-letter vowel (e.g., tack, pack, luck) (page 33), and #11, the versatility and many sounds of letter y (page 37).
• Some of them initially appear to be of lower utility such as #5 (page 35), “When Two Vowels Go Walking,” however, this generalization is only applied for vowels that are not on the "Vowel Town" diagram including ai, ay, ea, oa.
• In the "Small Group Folder," page 3, the "Kindergarten Placement Guide" lists "Segment and Write Xtend," "Old Word/New Word Xtend," and "Word Reading List Xtend," which include the concepts: c or k, th, a_e, o_e, sh, ee, ch, i_e, u_e, and wh.

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

• In the "Large Group Manual," pages 2-5, in the "Quarterly Literacy Plan," Quarter 1, it lists "ABC" letter naming and consonant letter sounds introduced or reviewed weekly. In Quarters 2 and 3, "ABC" letter naming, consonant letter sounds, and vowels are listed with activities either introduced or reviewed weekly. Quarter 4 introduces digraphs th, ch, and wh, and e to end in "Segment and Write" activities introduced or reviewed weekly.
• In the "Large Group Manual," "Teacher Preparation Tab," page 66, the phonics continuum outlines the expectations for Kindergarten and includes stretching, blending, segmenting, rhyming/alliteration, as well as CVC and CCVC/CVCC segment/blend and manipulate for all short vowels, consonants, consonant digraphs, and long vowels.
• In the Kindergarten "Small Group Folder," "Small Group Note Taking Cues," page 5, the "Old Word/New Word" lesson uses the following focus cues:
• "C? K? = chose c or k at the beginning.
• -ck = at the end; -e to the end.
• -e = -e to the end.
• 2 ee’s = stick together.
• c/e, i, y = c as /s/ when followed by the letters e, i, or y.
• -ge = /j/ at the end is always spelled -ge.
• -dge = add defender d if comes after 1 letter vowel.
• -tch = add defender t if comes after 1 letter vowel.
• 2 VGW = 2 vowels go walking combinations of ai, ay, ea, oa.
• -ay, -ow, -aw = when last in a word spelling of /ae/, as in say, /ow/ as in cow or snow, and /au/ as in saw or claw."

The materials reviewed for Pathways to Reading Kindergarten meet the criteria for materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that genuinely measure student progress of phonological awareness (as indicated by the program scope and sequence).

Materials include an assessment schedule (baseline and quarterly) to assess phonological awareness using the Phonological Awareness Screening Test (PAST) by David Kilpatrick ©2010. Scoring expectations for the grade level are provided for the PAST. Materials provide assessment opportunities other than the PAST at the beginning of the year, at the end of the second nine weeks (winter), and at the end of the fourth nine weeks (spring). Teachers are provided with instructions for administering the PAST.

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

• In the "Kindergarten Assessments Manual," pages 21-24, it provides the Phonological Awareness Screening Test (PAST) exam which assesses phonological awareness. The teacher is to administer only levels D, E, F, and G.
• In the "Kindergarten Assessments Manual," pages 21-24, materials provide scoring guidelines for the PAST which indicate the students approximate grade level, and a scoring of each level of phonological awareness (i.e., Basic Syllable, Onset-Rime, Basic Phonemes, and Advanced Phoneme levels).

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

• In the "Kindergarten Assessments Manual," page 5, the following information is provided: “Developmental guidelines are provided indicating which PA levels are expected to be mastered by the beginning, middle and ending grade levels. Students behind these norms should be provided additional oral PA exercises and additional PTR instruction.”
• In the "Large Group Manual," page 116, Week 18 is designated as an assessment week. The teacher is informed that if a, “Student has made little or no gains consider the following: Is the student offered small group instruction 4-5 times a week? Is the student asked to respond to questions frequently in small group and offered full student assist strategies? Does the student appear to have other learning issues such as weak language, poor memory, poor coordination? These may indicate learning problems. Does the student need further testing by school specialists to receive additional instruction?”
• In the "Kindergarten Assessments Manual," page 17, after recording errors on the "Nonsense Word Assessment," the teacher is provided with instructional implications based on whether the errors were phonemic or phonics based. For example, the instructional implications for a weak phonemic awareness score (e.g., sounds added, omitted, or out of order) are for the teacher to, “Check that the student can easily segment three sounds. If the answer is yes, have the student do Old/New Word lists one on one with the teacher. Spell one or two words then switch to reading. Be certain to offer scaffolded responses to student errors in Segment and Write, Old/New Word and Read single Words.”
• In the "Advanced Oral PA Development Manual," pages 28-29 there is a "Basic Syllable Student Tracking Chart." “Write a + when a list is passed (9/10 correct, less than 3 second responses.), 2 plusses and the Lesson is completed (++)”.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that measure student progress of phonics (as indicated by the program scope and sequence).

Pathways to Reading materials provide regular assessment opportunities to measure students’ progress in phonics over the course of the school year. Assessments include "Spell a Sound," "One Minute Letter Sound Identification," and "Word Spelling." The teacher is provided with note-taking cues to use during small groups to note student progress.

Materials provide resources and tools to collect ongoing data about students’ progress in phonics. For example, the following is noted:

• In the "Assessment Manual," pages 9-11, a "Student Response Form" along with a "Student Test Record" are provided for the "Spell a Sound Assessment". Students write letters for sounds. Twenty-three letter sounds are tested.
• In the "Assessment Manual," pages 25-28, the teacher is provided with forms to track both class data and individual student assessment data.
• In the "Assessment Manual," page 29, the teacher is provided with instructions for using the "Excel Pathways Assessment Report." The Excel document provides a means for teachers to collect student data on assessments. “Enter data each period. Scores are color coded. Red = at risk. Orange and yellow = nearing target. Green = on target.” Group and individual reports are available.
• In the "Small Group Folder," daily lesson trackers for each level (1-4) allow teachers to collect daily progress on specific phonics skills during instruction:
• Level 3, Day 2, "Vowel Practice" and "Segment and Write" progress.
• Level 3, Day 5, "Word Reading List," "Snap Words," and "Reading in Context."

Materials offer systematically implemented assessment opportunities to determine students’ progress in phonics. For example, the following is noted:

• In the "Assessment Manual," page 1, general assessment information is provided for all tests given. A Rubric Interpretation for all tests is provided to determine 1-high risk, 2-at risk, 3-nearing target, 4-on target, 5-above target. The teacher is able to compare student data for each nine week period and should expect increases in rubric levels and scores to reflect increased phonics knowledge.
• In the "Assessment Manual," page 8, in the "One Minute Letter Sound Identification," students are provided with 24 letters and tell the teacher the sounds of as many letters as they can.
• In the "Assessment Manual," page 9, "Spell a Sound" is a test that is administered at the end of the second, third, and fourth quarters. This test assesses the 24 sounds that are taught. The letters x and q are not taught/assessed in Kindergarten.
• In the "Assessment Manual," page 12, in the "Word Spelling" assessment, students spell words such as fan, dip, jug, and spot.

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

• In the "Assessment Manual," page 1, the "Test Administration Timeline" indicates the "Spell a Sound" exam is to be given at the end of the second, third, and fourth nine week periods.
• In the "Assessment Manual," page 8, "One Minute Letter Identification" is administered at the beginning of the school year and at the end of each quarter. However, if by the end of the first quarter students have achieved a rubric score of 4-5 on the assessment, the teacher does not reassess.
• In the "Assessment Manual," page 9, "Spell a Sound Assessment" is administered at the end of the second, third, and fourth quarters.

Assessment materials provide teachers and students with information about students’ current skills/level of understanding of phonics. For example, the following is noted:

• In the "Assessment Manual," page 9, teachers are provided with a rubric to use with the "Spell a Sound" assessment. If a student spells all 23 sounds correctly, the student would earn a rubric score of 5.
• In the "Small Group Folder," Level 1, Day 1 and 2, students stretch and blend words. The teacher takes notes including whether the student is given clues or no clues to figure out the words.

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

• In the "Large Group Manual," page 172, after the teacher scores the assessments and records data onto the student summary form, the teacher should consider the following:
• Is the student offered small group instruction 4-5 times a week?
• Is the student asked to respond to questions frequently in small group and offered full student assist strategies?
• Does the student appear to have other learning issues such as a weak language, poor memory, poor coordination? These may indicate multiple learning problems.
• Does the student need further testing by a school specialist to receive additional instruction?
• In the "Assessment Manual," page 11, instructional demands are provided after the "Spell a Sound" test. Materials inform the teacher to provide students with daily small group instruction in Level 1 followed by Level 2 activities. Students practice using alliteration of sounds and then write the letters.
• In the "Assessment Manual," page 14, at the end of the "Word Spelling Assessment," teachers are provided with "Instruction Demands" for both phonics and phonemic awareness. For phonics, the demands listed are: “Daily small group instruction. Weak vowels-more vowel practice with vowel hill. Vowel practices 1-3. Weak consonants-Levels 1 and 2 consonant practice. Segment and write with a smaller set of consonants until learned. Student is sound leader frequently.”

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that measure student progress of word recognition and analysis (as indicated by the program scope and sequence).

In Pathways to Reading, sight words are assessed throughout the school year. Beginning in the third nine weeks, nonsense word reading is a part of the assessment routine. Based on a student’s performance on each test, teachers are provided with instructional implications.

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

• In the "Large Group Manual," page 24, the teacher is provided with instructions for completing the "Sight Word Olympics" assessments. “When students feel ready they can ‘run the race.’ They must be able to read the words in less than 20 seconds. If they are successful they can earn ‘medals.’” The teacher is provided with a list that breaks down how many words a student must read to earn medals, for example, bronze, silver, and gold.
• In the "Assessment Manual," page 17, a nonsense word reading test is provided. The test is administered at the end of the third and fourth nine weeks. For example, after the third nine weeks students are assessed on the following words: naf, vit, mup, baz, sig, cuj, kiv, zam, juf, and dis.
• In the "Assessment Manual," pages 18-19, materials list the words that are tested. A previous nine week exam is administered again, if needed, in the following nine week period:
• End of first nine weeks: the, of, a, to, and, in.
• End of second nine weeks: is, was, you, that, he, it.
• End of third nine weeks: for, are, as, with, his, on.
• End of fourth nine weeks: they, at, have, from, be, this.
• *Note: The word I has been omitted from the 25 most frequent words to have even numbers each quarter.

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

• In the "Assessment Manual," page 18, materials provide a rubric for the "Sight Word Reading" test. The suggestions provided are daily small group instruction, listening to students read single words in context, provide students with full assist questioning, sending a sight word list home each quarter, and completing the "Sight Word Olympics" tasks.
• In the "Assessment Manual," page 19, under the "Scoring" section, the teacher records the pronunciation of misread words. For example, if the word is=mis, materials state there is a phonemic awareness error. If the word am=an, materials state there is a phonics error.
• In the "Assessment Manual," page 19, materials provided guidance for teachers about students’ scoring. For example, “At the end of the second nine weeks students read List 2. *Those who did not have a rubric score of 4 or 5 with List 1 read it again, then read list 2.”

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

• In the "Assessment Manual," page 17, teachers are provided with instructional implications based on a student’s performance on the "Nonsense Word Reading Test:"
• “Weak Phonemic Awareness Score: (Sounds added, omitted, out of order.) Check that the student can easily segment three sounds. If the answer is yes, have the student do Old/New Word lists one on one with the teacher. Spell one or two words then switch to reading. Be certain to offer scaffolded responses to student errors in Segment and Write, Old/New word and Read Single Words.”
• “Weak Phonics Score: The pacing may have been too fast. Is the six-day rotational plan being followed in small group instruction? Is the placement guide being used? Do the students meet in small groups three to four times per week?”
• In the "Assessment Manual," page 19, teachers are provided with instructional implications based on a student’s performance on the "Sight Word Test:"
• “Poor recall of non-phonetic words (i.e., the, of, was, you, etc.) Does the student segment easily and can identify letters to match sounds? These are underlying skills that contribute to acquiring non-phonetic words. Is the six-day rotational plan being followed in small group instruction? Students need to context read frequently to aid the acquisition of a sight word base.”
• “Weak Phonics Score (poor decoding of phonetic words (i.e., and, in, on) The pacing may have been too fast. Is the six-day rotational plan being followed in small group instruction? Is the Placement Guide being used? Do the students meet in small groups three to four times per week?”
• In the "Assessment Manual," page 19, the instructional implications are categorized into two parts: “poor recall” or “weak phonics”. Materials include suggestions such as, “students need to context read frequently to aid the acquisition of a sight word base,” or “the pacing may have been too fast.”

The materials reviewed for Pathways to Reading Kindergarten meet the criteria for materials regularly provide all students, including those who read, write, speak, or listen below grade level with extensive opportunities for reteaching to meet or exceed grade-level standards.

In Pathways to Reading, a minimum of 60 minutes each day involves small group instruction based on four levels and grouping of students based on their specific needs. Small group lessons are provided in the "Small Group Manual" to begin by the middle of the first quarter. Lessons located in the "Small Group Manual" provide an opportunity for reteaching skills initially taught in a whole group setting. Students are assessed regularly in order to move between levels. "Student Assists" for students who are struggling are spread throughout lessons and provide teachers with tips to help students. The "Flip and Assist Manual" also provides ideas for teachers to use to help students who read, write, speak, or listen below grade level.

Materials provide opportunities for small group reteaching. For example, the following is noted:

• In the "Small Group Manual," page 4, the Introduction defines "Small Group Instruction" as 60 minutes. Kindergarten guidelines include the following:
• Small group size of no more than 5.
• Allow 20 minutes for each small group lesson and 5 minutes for transition.
• Plan a minimum of 3 small groups daily.
• An absolute minimum of 3 lessons per small group is required for students to learn skills basic to the reading process and to transfer those skills to context reading.
• In the "Small Group Manual," page 32, in Level 2, days 1 and 2, teachers use, "Follow Flip and Assist" directions on blue "Stretch and Blend" tabs.

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

• In the "Small Group Manual," pages 85-86, during "Vowel Practice Lesson 11," a "Student Assist" box is provided for the teacher. If the student can not recall the sound for a the teacher prompts, “Can you picture where this is on the Vowel Town. Is it in the top three smiles or the bottom three? Can you say the bottom three smile sounds from memory?”
• In the "Small Group Manual," page 140, the lesson includes prompts for students who are struggling. For example: “Student reads the word incorrectly. 1. First get the student to read the word ‘the way it looks’. Respond to the error as if the word were phonetically correct. (Follow Flip and Assist).”
• In the "Flip and Assist Manual," page 7, teachers are provided with ideas to help students struggling to stretch words. Teacher prompts include, “When the arm is fully stretched and the last sound is pronounced, wiggle the hand at the end of the outstretched arm and ask: “What’s the last sound?” When the hand is closest to the mouth ask, “What’s the first sound we say when our hand is closest to our mouth?” It may be helpful to also note the articulation of the first sound. “What is the first sound that has my top teeth touching my bottom lip?”

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for materials regularly provide extensions and/or more advanced opportunities for students who read, write, speak, or listen above grade level.

In Pathways to Reading, a minimum of 60 minutes each day involves small group instruction based on four levels and grouping of students based on their specific needs. Extension lessons are provided for students working above grade level through "Xtend" lessons and in the small group, Level 4 lessons. Students who read, write, speak, or listen above grade level are provided activities that promote student independence. While Level 4 students receive fewer individualized teacher lessons in small groups, their daily and weekly activities advance to more reading of words and reading in context.

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

• In the "Small Group Manual," page 19, "Small Group Instruction" is broken into four levels. The skills students work on mastering in Level 4 are more advanced than the Level 1 skills.
• Level 1: "Stretch/Blend," "Letter Naming," "ABC Point/Sing."
• Level 2: "Stretch/Blend," "Rhyme," "Letter Naming," "Segment and Write."
• Level 3: "Vowel Practice," "Segment and Write," "Old/New Word," "Read Words," "Read in Context."
• Level 4: "Xtend Vowel Town Practice," "Segment and Write," "Old/New Word," "Read Words," "Read in Context."
• In the "Small Group Manual," page 93, there are two "Segment and Write" lessons provided and there are 10 "Xtend and Teach" lessons listed.
• In the "Small Group Manual," page 189, the teacher is provided with an explanation of the skills that will be taught at each level. For example, in "Xtend" Level 4, students will learn the consonant digraphs th, sh, ch, and wh. Students will also learn the long vowel spelling patterns: a_e, ee, i_e, o_e, and u_e.

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