Kindergarten - Gateway 2

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the expectations for texts being 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.

Texts are connected by a grade-level appropriate topic. Each module in every unit is built around a topic. In each module, anchor and supporting texts are centered around the topic. Examples include:

• Unit 1: Living Together: This is Home
  • In Module A, students are expected to understand the topic of finding one’s home. Students are expected to infer using levels of meaning that a home can be anywhere you are with people who care and love you, regardless of where your location may be.
  • In Module B, students are expected to understand the relationship among different species in a pond and understand their ecosystem and how it works.
• Unit 2: Understanding Then and Now
  • In Module A, students are expected to understand how land changes over the course of time due to the rapid growth of people within expanding cities.
  • In Module B, students are expected understand the differences from farming then and farming now through the use of understanding the theme of change.
• Unit 3: Predicting Change
  • In Module A, students are expected to understand how neighborhood filled with different cultures is impacted, as well as united, by the weather.
  • In Module B, students are expected to understand meteorology terms to explain how and why the weather is so difficult to predict using special weather instruments.
• Unit 4: Learning about Each Other and The World
  • In Module A, students are expected to understand how to connect with both sets of grandparents, being from a multicultural family, through connecting in different ways.
  • In Module B, students are expected to understand what music is, why it is important, and identify different instruments used around the word in many different cultures.

• Unit 5: Knowing About Patterns and Structures.
  • In Module A, students are expected to understand how plants grow in nature as well as, identify the challenges plants face growing to maturity.
  • In Module B, students are expected to understand how to visualize different patterns in plants.
• Unit 6: Exploring Communities
  • In Module A, students are expected to understand places and people form a community.
  • In Module B, students are expected to understand how people, places, and things form a city’s community.

Texts build knowledge, vocabulary, and the ability to read/listen and comprehend complex texts across a school year. In each lesson there is a benchmark vocabulary section taught. Benchmark vocabulary words are important for understanding concepts within a text. These words are needed to deeply comprehend a text and central to understanding the text. There is a Benchmark Vocabulary Routine included for teaching students the meaning of words. For example:

• In Unit 1, Module A, Lesson 5, the benchmark vocabulary words are ruffled and cozy. The teacher uses the Benchmark Vocabulary Routine to teach the meaning of the words, the students use p. 11 in their Reader’s and Writer’s Journal to show contextual understanding of the words.
• In Unit 4, Module B, Lesson 7, the benchmark vocabulary word is powwows. The teacher uses the Benchmark Vocabulary Routine to teach the meaning of the words. The students use p. 218 in their Reader’s and Writer’s Journal to show contextual understanding of the words.
• In Unit 6, Module B, Lesson 12, the benchmark vocabulary words are borrow, offer, and rush. The teacher uses the Benchmark Vocabulary Routine to teach the meaning of the words. The students use p. 344 in their Reader’s and Writer’s Journal to show contextual understanding of the words.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the expectations for containing sets of coherently sequenced questions and tasks that require students to analyze the language (words/phrases), key ideas, details, craft, and structure of individual texts in order to make meaning and build understanding of texts and topics.

Each lesson includes a Language or Reading Analysis section in which students analyze language, key ideas, details, craft, and structure of individual texts. Language or Reading Analysis is also included in some small group lessons. Examples include:

• In Unit 1, Module A, Lesson 6, students complete a Story Sequence graphic organizer to analyze their reading through a story retell. They use key details about the characters, setting, and events.
• In Unit 2, Module A, Lesson 8, students study context clues or picture clues which help them figure out what words mean in a text. The teacher guides the students to use clues in the sentences and pictures to help “us” find the meaning of the word golden. Questions are asked, “What can I find out about the word gold from the other words in the sentence?”, What can I tell about the word golden just from reading it?”, and How can I use the picture to help me figure out what golden means?” These questions are sequenced and scaffolded to allow students to pull out words and phrases and then students discuss in their small groups the meaning of the word golden as the teacher checks for understanding.
• In Unit 3, Module B, Lesson 7, students are reminded that they can ask and answer questions about words they do not know. Students are also reminded that readers look at the pictures and other words in the text to help them answer their questions. Teacher and students complete a Question and Answer Chart with Weather Words and What They Mean.
• In Unit 4, Module A, Lesson 8, students use the Events and Details graphic organizer to analyze and write details about a major or important event from the story, Web B on p. TR49. A major event is chosen and the students are refer back to the text to find four details that support this being a major or important event from the story.
• In Unit 5, Module B, Lesson 2, students fill out a T-Chart around what a pattern is and what is not a pattern. The teacher models information from the story Plant Patterns to help fill information from the reading.
• In Unit 6, Module A, Lesson 9, students and the teacher complete a T-Chart, Ask and Answer Questions. The teacher models using What is a Neighborhood. Students ask questions and use the text, words and photographs to find answers to their questions.

The Scaffolded Instruction Handbook also includes lessons to support the unit lessons. Examples include:

• Unit 2, Module A, Lesson 10, references using the Scaffolded Instruction Handbook to provide support with using sequence words and phrases to help tell the order of events in a story. Students can use a wordless picture book or story cards to model telling events in order. Use words like, first, then, next, last, at the beginning, in the middle, at the end. Guide children to retell the story using sequence words and phrases.

Unit 6, Module A, Lesson 3, references using the Scaffolded Instruction Handbook, so students who are having difficulty knowing which punctuation make to use at the end of the sentence are able to review that a telling sentence ends with a period, and asking sentence ends with a question mark, and an exclamation or sentence with a strong feeling ends with an exclamation mark.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet expectations for containing a coherently sequenced set of text-based questions and tasks that require students to build knowledge and integrate ideas across both individual and multiple texts.

Most sets of coherent questions and tasks support students’ analysis of knowledge and ideas. Examples include:

• In Unit 1, Module A, Lesson 9, students read the text A House for Hermit Crab and study how writers understand that pictures and words about events help tell a story. They can use both the words and the pictures in a story to help tell about the characters, setting, and events in the story. Students turn and talk to answer the question, “Whom is the story about? and “What happens in the story?” During the second read, Close Read, students cite evidence to focus on where, why and how questions concerning Hermit Crab. For example, “Where does Hermit Crab live? Why does Hermit Crab need a new shell? How does Hermit Crab make his new shell look less plain? and Why does Hermit Crab leave his shell at the end of the story?”
• In Unit 3, Module B, Lesson 12, students read the text Weather Words and What they Mean and use its illustrations and other text features to better understand weather and weather words. Students focus on the fact that readers understand that asking and answering questions helps them understand the text. Students turn and talk about what they read on page 25-32 and discuss questions and use pictures to help them better understand the text. Students cite evidence to focus on the various structures and features that readers use to understand a text. Students answer the questions “How are snowstorms and blizzards different? and What causes wind?” Students then share using the Think-Pair-Share Routine on pp. TR6-TR7 to discuss and explain the answers to their questions. On their second reading,Close Read, students refer back to the text to answer, “What happens first (with snowflakes)? What happens next? and Let’s find and read the sentences that tell us about these vents.”

Sets of questions and tasks provide opportunities to analyze, describe, compare/contrast, and explain across multiple texts as well as within single texts. Examples include:

• In Unit 2, Module B, Lessons 11 and 12, students analyze and answer questions across the texts The Farming Then and Now and The Old Things. Students compare and contrast key details using words and pictures. Students discuss questions, “Why have people’s lives both on farms and not on farms become easier than they were long ago? What is the main topic of Farming Then and Now? What details does the book give about the topic? What is s the main topic of The Old Things? What details does the book give about the topic? How are the topics of the book alike? How are the topics of the book different? and What do you learn from these books about how tools and other things have changed?”
• In Unit 3, Module B, Lesson 4, Using the text What Will the Weather Be?, students analyze and answer questions across the text in their Reading Analysis Extension portion of the lesson to extend their learning. The teacher displays pp. 4-17 and students are provided a T-chart with headings of questions or answers. The following questions guide the discussion,“What part of the picture made you think of a question? Was the answer to the question on the same page as the picture, or did you find the answer on another page? Are there any questions that you could not find answers to in the text? and How can you find answers to those questions?”
• In Unit 4 Module A, Lessons 12 and 13, students analyze, compare and contrast, and answer questions across the texts I Love Saturdays y domingos, and Apple Pie for the 4th of July. Students describe, compare, and contrast key details from the stories to learn more about characters, settings, and major events from the story. Students discuss questions the questions, “What happened at the beginning of I Love Saturdays y dominga? and What happened at the end of Apple Pie for 4th of July?” Students are asked, on the second/Close Read to read specific pages of each text and are then asked questions specifically about that text, “Read pp. 30-31 in I Love Saturdays y dominga. What happens in this part of the story? What does the picture show? How does the family share experiences from two different cultures? Point to a place in the picture where you see this? Read pp. 8-11 Apple Pie for 4th of July. What words does this author use to help the readers imagine what the narrator hears and smells? and How does the community share characteristics from American and Chinese cultures?”
• In Unit 5, Module B, Lesson 1, using the text Plant Patterns, students analyze and answer questions across the text, “Look at the front cover of the book. What is the book mostly about?” What different kinds of patterns can plans make? What is one example of a plant that makes a pattern? What pattern does it make? Listen closely to these sentences from p. 13. Look closer, do you see a star pattern? Who Is the author telling to look closer? Why do you think the author asks readers to look closely for a star pattern? What kind of pattern do these plants in each photograph make? Look at page 25. How does a Venus flytrap work? and How do you know?”

By the end of the year, integrating knowledge and ideas is embedded in students’ work through tasks and/or culminating tasks. Every module includes a culminating performance-based assessment where students write, draw, or dictate to a prompt. Many of the performance assessments at the end of each module and unit require the students to use evidence from the texts they have read. The lessons and questions leading up to the task offer support to complete the task. For example, students use the text from the lessons in Unit 2, Module A, when they create a simple personal narrative about something they did when they were younger that they do differently now. The students draw “Then I…” and Now I…” pictures to show a difference in how they do something. Next, students dictate or write about the two events using the sentence starters, “Then I…” and “Now I…”. There is a reproducible page to distribute to children as well. Lastly, there is a review and revise portion and a shared writing to complete the assessment.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet expectations for containing a year-long, cohesive plan of writing instruction and tasks which support students in building and communicating substantive understanding of topics and texts. Each writing lesson focuses on a standard based writing type (narrative, opinion, or informative/explanatory). Students receive explicit instruction that guides them through the writing process. Students have writing models from anchor and supporting texts that they can use to examine writers’ styles and techniques. Students have the opportunity to apply writing skills during Independent Writing Practice and share their work at the end of each lesson. Students develop grammar, usage, and convention skills by practicing in their Reader’s and Writer’s Journal.

Materials include writing instruction aligned to the standards for the grade level, and writing instruction spans the whole school year. Examples include:

• In Unit 2, Module B, Lesson 2, on pp. 178-179 the goal is to write to tell an opinion about the topic. The students read Farming Then and Now and their opinion focus is based on the question, “Which do you think is better: farming in the past or farming today?”.
• In Unit 4, Module A, Lesson 3, on pp. 38-39 the goal is to write a narrative which has characters, setting, and events. Students write a narrative with the understanding that events in a story are the things that happen to the characters. They reference their anchor text I Love Saturdays y domingos.
• In Unit 5, Module B, Lesson 7, on pp. 228-229 the goal is to write an informative/explanatory piece that focuses on finding more information about a topic. Students include facts and details and write about one main idea that includes all the facts and details from the text in their idea. They reference back to their anchor text Plant Patterns for information using pictures and relying on the teacher for read aloud information.

Each module ends with a Performance-Based Assessment. The task provide opportunities for students to apply the skills they learned during the module to their own writing. Examples include:

• In Unit 2, Module A, students create a simple personal narrative about something they did when they were younger that they do differently now.
• In Unit 4, Module B: Students think of two questions about the selections Making Music and Clothes in Many Cultures. They use evidence from the texts to answer questions.
• In Unit 6, Module A, students state and support an opinion about which selection they like better, On the Town: A Community Adventure or Places in My Neighborhood.

Writing instruction supports students’ growth in writing skills over the course of the school year. Each lesson includes a writing task. It varies from narrative, opinion to explanatory/informative across the lessons. Included in lesson is an Independent Writing Practice lesson, Conventions Mini-Lesson and a Shared Writing section where students get the opportunity to share their writing. Examples include:

• In Unit 1, Module A, Lesson 6, the focus writing is Narrative Writing. In Setting the Purpose the Teacher's Guide states, “Explain to students that after a writer has written a story, the writer may revise, or change the story by adding details. Explain that today the students will add details to the setting they created for their animal character.” During Teach and Model, “Write the following text and read it aloud: Far away, after sailing for a long time, there’s a house-that’s where my puppies play.” Teacher’s say “Suppose this was the writer’s description. Does it tell many details about the place where the dog’s home is located? Does it help you see the place where the dog’s home is located?” The teacher models revising writing by adding details. During the Independent Writing Practice students go back to their writing in lesson 3. They revise it by adding details through writing or pictures. Students have the opportunity to share their writing. The Conventions Mini-Lesson focuses on teaching and modeling writing the uppercase and lowercase letters Pp, Qq, and Rr. Students have the opportunity to practice writing these letters in their Reader’s and Writer’s Journal.
• In Unit 3, Module B, Lesson 9, the focus writing is Informational/Explanatory Writing. In Setting the Purpose the Teacher's Guides states, “Explain to students that when they write an informative/explanatory text they plan first, then draft, then revise and finally publish. Explain that today the students will look at how writers publish their writing.” In Teach and Model, “Display Weather Words and What they Mean. Explain that this writer published her writing in a book. Then display a weather forecast from a newspaper. Explain that this writer published their writing in the newspaper. Make sure students understand that there are many different ways to publish writing.” In Present Your Writing, “Show students steps that they can use to publish their writing.” Independent Writing Practice, “Have students draw a picture or find a photograph to accompany the text in the weather forecasts they wrote in Lesson 6 and revised in Lesson 8. Ask them to write their final versions on p. 167 in their Reader’s and Writer’s Journal. Students can share their writings. Conventions Mini-Lesson: Read aloud the sentence The wind blows. Then say The wind blows and howls. Explain to students that adding details to sentences they make it tell more. Have students practice expanding sentences by adding actions on p. 167 in their Reader’s and Writer’s Journal.”

Instructional materials include a variety of well-designed lesson plans, models, and protocols for teachers to implement and monitor students’ writing development. For example, in each lesson the Teacher Guide provides lesson plans for setting the purpose and teaching and modeling. Each lesson is scripted and outlines what the teacher says and does. There are rubrics in the Assessment Handbook for end of the unit assessments.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet expectations for including 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.

Materials support teachers in employing projects that develop students’ knowledge on a topic through provided resources. Materials provide opportunities for students to apply Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening, Language skills to synthesize and analyze per their grade level readings. Research projects are sequenced across a school year to include a progression of research skills. Examples include:

• In Unit 1, Module A, the performance based assessment requires to choose an animal from one of the selections they read. They tell about the animal and its home.
• Unit 1, Module B, the performance based assessment requires students to write an informative/explanatory text after choosing an animal or plant from one of the selections. They explain about the animal’s or plant’s home.
• In Unit 3, Module A, the performance based assessment requires students to use information from Come on, Rain! to write a story about the main character and what she might do in a snow storm.
• In Unit 3, Module B, the performance based assessment requires students to pretend they are weather forecasters. They use what they learned from the selections to write a simple weather forecast.
• In Unit 4, Module B. In the performance based assessment, children think of two questions about the selections they read. They use evidence from the texts to answer the questions in their informative/explanatory task.
• In Unit 5, Module A, the performance based assessment requires students to write an opinion piece stating an opinion about which plants they like better from , The Tiny Seed or Jack’s Garden.
• In Unit 6, Module B, the performance based assessment requires students use information from the anchor and supporting texts and their own words and pictures to create a real travel brochure that convinces people to visit a big city.

The materials also include an optional center called The Research Center that can be visited daily. Suggested research topics are included in each module. For example:

• In Unit 2, Module A, suggestions include researching about what was used before an object that was invented, research two different technologies, such as the computer and the cellular phone, or research an invention to discover why someone invented it. Sources include books that tell about clothes for different kinds of weather and photos of people in rainy-day gear.
• In Unit 3, Module B, suggestions include researching answers to questions about the weather in their community, or researching what the weather there is like in each season.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet expectations for providing a design, including accountability, for how students will regularly engage in a volume of independent reading either in or outside of class.

Most texts are organized with built in supports/scaffolds to foster independence. Examples include:

• ReadyUp! Intervention provides additional instruction with the lesson’s reading and foundational skills standards.
• The Leveled Text Library allows students/teachers to choose texts based on student’s needs.
• Reading Analysis Support provides additional support for students who are struggling as well as Unlock the Text.
• The Scaffolded Strategies Handbook provides additional support for each lesson.

Procedures are organized for independent reading included in the lessons. Examples include:

• Focused Independent Reading instruction is the first step of Small Group Time each day.
• The Independent Reading Routine provides teachers with support for introducing and continuing Independent Reading, as well as a rationale for implementation.
• The Text Club Routine provides teacher with support for a protocol to have children read a text then discuss it with meaning and purpose. Each text club has assigned roles for students.
• A Pearson Realize online contents page links to Independent Reading Activities. The teacher can direct and students can access Dash content to input comprehension and vocabulary notes.

There is sufficient teacher guidance to foster independence for all readers. Examples include:

• Students are guided how to apply the content of each day's Reading Analysis lesson to their self-selected text, starting with Unit 1, Module A, Lesson 1.
• Teachers meet with two or three individual students during Small Group Time each day to discuss their texts and support independent reading. This is found on each lesson’s fifth page.

• Each module includes center time which involves independent reading. During independent reading, the teacher directs students to focus on either a process focus or a strategy focus. A process focus is where students either focus on independence, stamina, or engagement. The strategy focus has students focus on fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, or critical thinking.

There is a proposed schedule for independent reading. For example, teachers prepare students for Focused Independent Reading that they do during Small Group Time while teachers teach mini-lessons and assess individual students.

There is a tracking system (which may include a student component) to track independent reading. For example, students monitor their reading by recording it in their daily reading log. They gauge and record their engagement, their opinion of what they read, and their plan for the next day’s reading.

Student reading materials span a wide volume of texts at grade levels (and at various lexile levels within the grade). For example, students can use the Leveled Text Library and online leveled texts to practice reading at their independent levels. Texts are related to the unit topic and offer a range of levels to meet every student’s needs.