Kindergarten - Gateway 3

The instructional materials reviewed for Zearn Math Kindergarten meet expectations that the underlying design of the materials distinguishes between problems and exercises. In essence, the difference is that in solving problems, students learn new mathematics, whereas in working exercises, students apply what they have already learned to build mastery. Each problem or exercise has a purpose.

Materials engage students in both problems and exercises through the grade level. Problems where students learn new mathematics are typically found in the Lesson and Word Problem of the Daily Teacher-Led Instruction. Examples include:

• Mission 2, Topic B, Lesson 6, Word Problem states, “Have students work with a partner. Give each set of students a small ball and a cube. We are going to do a test. Take turns with your partner. Roll the ball back and forth between you a few times. Watch the ball carefully as it rolls. Now, try to roll the block between you. Talk to your partner about what happens. Why do you think the objects behave so differently? What would be the best way to get the block to your partner? Why don’t cups that have a circle on the bottom roll off the table? Note: This Word Problem requires students to start thinking about the differences between balls and cubes in preparation for today’s lesson.”
• Mission 3, Topic D, Lesson 14, Lesson, students explore conservation of volume by pouring. The materials state, “In the last lesson, we talked about the capacities of our containers. I wonder what the capacity of this bowl is. How could I find out? Tell me when to stop! (Use a spoon to fill the bowl.) There. Let me draw how the rice looks in this bowl on my recording sheet. (Demonstrate.) look at this bottle. I wonder if the capacity of the bottle is more or less than the capacity of the bowl. How could we find out? Good idea! I will use this funnel so I don’t lose any. (Pour the rice into the bottle.) What do you notice? Hmmm. I didn’t spill any. What do you think happened? Yes. The capacity of the bottle is more than the capacity of the bowl. Let me draw how the rice looks in the bottle. (Draw.) What will happen if I pour the rice back into the bowl?”
• Mission 4, Topic C, Lesson 15, Lesson, students represent decomposition and compositions addition stories to 8. The materials state, “We are going to play the gravity game today! Let’s pretend my cubes are space rocks. Help me count how many rocks I am putting into my cup. I have 8 space rocks in my cup. This side of the tapes is the land (point). I will use gravity and my magic tape line to help me find some number sentences about 8. How many space rocks fell on land, and how many fell into the ocean? Let me shake it 8 times, and then, I will pour it out to see what happens! (Demonstrate and pour the cubes onto the surface.) What happened? Can we make a number sentence about our picture? Write the number sentence on your personal board. Did anyone think of a different number sentence that tells how our cubes look right now? (Allow time for sharing and discussion.)”

Exercises where students apply learning to build mastery are typically found in the Fluency portion of the daily, Teacher-Led Instruction and the Digital Activities and Problem Set during Two Stations. Examples include:

• In Mission 4, Topic G, Lesson 33, Fluency Practice, Core Fluency Differentiated Practice Sets states, “This activity assesses students’ progress toward mastery of the required fluency goal for kindergarten: Add and subtract within 5. Distribute Practice Sets A, B, or C based on student performance in Lesson 30. Students who correctly answered all questions on a Practice Set in the previous attempt should move to the next practice Set. All other students should try to improve their scores on Practice Set A. Students complete as many problems as they can in 96 seconds or the time allotted. Assign a counting pattern and start number for students who finish early, or have them play an independent game like the Make 10 Memory Game (Lesson 28). Collect and correct any Practice Sets completed within the allotted time.”
• In Mission 5, Topic A, Lesson 5, Problem Set, “Direct students to circle 10 objects and check the extra ones. Have them count the total using the Say Ten way. Watch to see that they count the 10 ones within the circle first from left to right, row by row. They then match the drawing to its numerical representation.”
• In Digital Activities, Numbers to 15, Sum Snacks 10-15, students see an animal with a basket of fruit. The materials state, “Frog has 10 apples. Give him 1 more.” Students continue adding fruit to the animal’s baskets as directed.

The instructional materials reviewed for Zearn Math Kindergarten meet expectations that the design of assignments is not haphazard: exercises are given in intentional sequences.

Lesson activities within each Mission are intentionally sequenced developing student understanding and leading towards mastery of the content. In each lesson students explore concepts, create concrete and pictorial representations, and participate in math discussions. Following the lesson, students participate in Stations. Digital Activities are designed to build number sense, and Problem Sets are designed to provide practice of lesson concepts and fluency.

The instructional materials reviewed for Zearn Math Kindergarten meet expectations that there is variety in what students are asked to produce. For example, students are asked to produce answers and solutions; but also, in a grade-appropriate way, arguments and explanations, diagrams, mathematical models, etc.

While engaged in lessons and Problem Sets during Two Stations, students are prompted to produce both oral and written answers. Students work in whole groups, small groups, and with partners during lesson instruction and are prompted to produce arguments and explanations. Example include:

• In Mission 2, Topic B, Lesson 6, Lesson, students find and describe solid shapes using informal language without naming. The materials state, “I have something new for you to explore today! You will be working with your partner. Please take everything out of your bag. I will give you a few minutes to look and talk with your partner about what you notice. Place your things on your desk. Stand up and look down at them as though you were a bird. What do you notice? Now pretend you are an ant. Bend down and look from eye level across the top of your desk. When we did this with your flat shapes, you said you couldn’t see them anymore. What happens this time? You’re right. They are not flat. We call these solids. Find the solid that looks like this. (Hold up the sphere.) Tell me about this solid. (Hold up the cube.) Look at this solid. Find the one that looks like it on your desk. How is it different? (Continue examining the solids until students have had a chance to describe them all. Encourage the students to use language such as edges, corners, sides, points, and curves in their discussion.) Put your shapes back in the bag. Take out your detective materials. You and your partner are going to hunt for these shapes around our classroom. When you find one, draw it on your paper. (Allow students five minutes to identify some of the solids in the environment.) Please return to your seats. Would anyone like to show and share about what they found?”
• In Mission 4, Topic E, Lesson 28, Word Problem states, “Use your clay to make 10 tiny grapes. With your marker, draw a pretty plate on your personal white board. Now, put some of the grapes on the plate. How many grapes do you have in all? How many grapes are on the plate? How many are not on the plate? Draw a number bond about your work.”
• In Mission 6, Topic B, Lesson 5, Fluency, Finish Line states, “(Distribute linking cubes as 10-sticks.) How many cubes do you have? (Give students time to count if necessary). Pretend that your 10-stick of cubes is a little train. (Have students orient their trains the same way by giving them a point of reference in the classroom.) Put your finger on the first cube. Let’s use our number order words as we touch each cube. Ready? Good. Now, break apart your cubes so none are connected. (Give students a moment to do this.) This time, I want you to pretend that they are little people running in a race! The start line is the edge of your personal white board. The finish line is the opposite side of your board. Watch me make my people run. (Demonstrate how to make cubes run.) On your mark, get set, go! (Allow about 10-30 seconds for students to participate.) Stop! The race is over. (Do not allow students to change the position of the cubes at this point.) Get out your marker. Listen carefully to what I want you to do. Circle the first runner. Mark an X next to the tenth runner. Underline the fifth runner. Now, point and show your partner who is first, second, and so on.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Zearn Math Kindergarten meet expectations that manipulatives are faithful representations of the mathematical objects they represent and when appropriate are connected to written methods. 

Digital Activities provide online tools and virtual manipulatives to enhance learning. Each Mission’s Lesson provides a detailed list of which materials are needed for the Fluency activity, Word Problem, and Lesson. Examples include:

• In Mission 1, Topic C, Lesson 8, Word Problem, Materials Needed states, “Counters in a bag.” Manipulatives are used to help students learn “that the total count is not changed when objects are arranged in different orientations.”
• In Mission 3, Topic E, Lesson 16, Lesson, Materials Needed states, “My square recording sheet (Template), 1 four-inch square of construction paper, 1 four-inch diameter paper circle, 20 one-inch paper or plastic square tiles, 1 small bag of large flat beans, my square recording sheet (Template).” Students use manipulatives to make informal comparisons of area. The materials state, “I wonder how many beans you would need to cover your square? (Various responses.) Work with your partner to put as many beans as you can on your square without piling them. (Allow time for experimentation and discussion.)”
• In Mission 5, Topic B, Lesson 9, Fluency, Grouping Teen Numbers into 10 Ones, Materials Needed states, “Bag with about 20 small objects and work mat. Note: The bags should have a variety of objects between 11 and 20.” Students use manipulatives to “Practice separating and counting objects as ten ones and some ones” to solidify understanding of teen numbers.

The instructional materials reviewed for Zearn Math Kindergarten meet expectations for supporting teachers in planning and providing effective learning experiences by providing quality questions to help guide students’ mathematical development.

Each Lesson contains questions for teachers to guide instruction in the Fluency Practice, Lesson, and Student Debrief sections. These sections guide instruction by providing teacher questions and possible student responses. Kindergarten Guide to Using Digital Activities provides questions to support Digital Activities. Examples of provided instructional support include:

• In Mission 2, Topic A, Lesson 5, Fluency Practice, Groups of Shapes states, “Choose a shape, and then meet me at the rug. Look at your shape. Raise your hand if you know the name of your shape. When I give the signal, whisper the name of your shape to yourself. Ready? Look around the room. Do you see signs with pictures of shapes? Do you see your shape? When I start the music, I want you to calmly walk to the sign that has the same shape as yours. When I point to your group, say the name of your shape. (Point to the group of triangles.)”
• In Mission 3, Topic A, Lesson 2, Student Debrief states, “The Student Debrief is intended to invite reflections and active processing of the total lesson experience. What did you notice as you compare each object to the string? Did you do anything different as you compare the lengths? What did you need to be sure to do? Why? Does it matter which way you compare two objects? Why? How did you compare the string and the door?”
• In Mission 4, Topic E, Lesson 25, Lesson states, “There were 9 bears in the forest. Some bears went to sleep in their caves, and some left to find a honey tree. Use your counters to show the bears. How many bears were there in all? Could we show this story in a number bond? How many bears are there in all? What number should go in the whole? What are our parts? Did anyone think about the story in another way?”
• In Mission 5, Topic C, Lesson 11, Lesson states, “Show me a tower of 10 cubes using one color. How many cubes are you holding? How many more cubes do you need to put on your tower to make 11? And how do we say 11 the Say Ten way?”
• Kindergarten Guide to Using Digital Activities, Using Digital Activities To Support Each Student’s Developing Math Understanding, Mission 1, Questions to support student understanding in The Counting Train, “Can you count aloud for me while solving the next problem?, How can you use the train to help? Was there a particular configuration of 5 objects that you found more challenging to count than others?”
• Kindergarten Guide to Using Digital Activities, Using Digital Activities To Support Each Student’s Developing Math Understanding, Mission 3, Questions to support student understanding in Sum Snacks, “What are you doing in this problem? After giving more fruit, how many pieces are there total? What is one way you can make 10? Can you think of another? If you have 8 pieces of fruit, how many more do you need to make 10?”
• Kindergarten Guide to Using Digital Activities, Using Digital Activities To Support Each Student’s Developing Math Understanding, Mission 5, Questions to support student understanding in Next Stop Top, “How does the use of color help you solve the problem? What does the number at the top of the bond represent? How did you complete the bond during ‘lights out?’”

The instructional materials reviewed for Zearn Math Kindergarten meet expectations for containing a teacher's edition with ample and useful annotations and suggestions on how to present the content in the student edition and in the ancillary materials. The materials include teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning.

Each Lesson contains informational annotations and suggestions in side box notes labeled Multiple Means of Engagement, Multiple Means of Representation, Multiple Means of Action and Expression, Multiple Means of Action and Representation, and Multiple Means of Expression. Useful annotations and suggestions for Digital Activities are found in Using Digital Activities to Support Each Student’s Developing Math Understanding. Examples of informational annotations and suggestions include:

• In Mission 1, Topic A, Lesson 1, Note: Multiple Means of Expression states, “Open the Student Debrief with turn and talk to your neighbor: Allow students to try out their ideas with a partner before speaking to the whole class.”
• In Mission 2, Topic A, Lesson 1, Note: Multiple Means of Representation states, “English Language Learners may benefit from having the words curved, straight, pointy, round, sides, and other attributes introduced before the lesson so that they can participate in the discussion with the class.  After introducing them, post the vocabulary on the word wall with visuals so that students can refer to them.”
• In Mission 3, Topic A, Lesson 3, Note: Multiple Means of Action and Representation states, “For enrichment, challenge students by extending the task. Ask them, individually or in teams, to order the objects in their mystery bags from shortest to longest. Also, ask them to find objects in the classroom that can be added to everyone’s mystery bag.”
• In Mission 4, Topic A, Lesson 1, Note: Multiple Means of Engagement states, “For students with processing or memory issues, place cards faceup to play the game. Students can match partners of 5 without the added memory requirement.”
• In Mission 5, Topic A, Lesson 5, Note: Multiple Means of Action and Expression states, “Give students who need extra support more time to practice counting. They may benefit from working with the cards one at a time while you move more rapidly through the cards with the rest of the class.”
• Kindergarten Guide to Using Digital Activities, Using Digital Activities to Support Each Student’s Developing Math Understanding, Mission 2, The Counting Train, 4 Activities, “Look for students who try to use the train to count by clicking each car as they count and remind them to only click on the car that represents the total count of objects. Consider giving these students something they can use to count on such as a left hand mat or a number path.”
• Kindergarten Guide to Using Digital Activities, Using Digital Activities to Support Each Student’s Developing Math Understanding, Mission 4, Sum Snacks, 10 Activities, “Look for students who, when asked to name the total number of pieces of fruit, start back at the beginning of the counting sequence, as opposed to simply naming the total with a single number (pay close attention to problems that start with 10 objects, as the visual representation is more challenging for students to see all 10 objects). This tells you that this particular student has not made the move from one-to-one correspondence to cardinality (i.e., they have yet to master the idea that the last name said names the total number of objects and, if the last number is known, there is no need to recount the objects).”
• Kindergarten Guide to Using Digital Activities, Using Digital Activities to Support Each Student’s Developing Math Understanding, Mission 6, Hop Skip Splash, 3 Activities, “Look for students who struggle to accurately complete the problems, as this might indicate he/she has not mastered the counting sequence. Consider providing students additional time to practice counting.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Zearn Math Kindergarten meet expectations for providing strategies for teachers to identify common student errors and misconceptions.

The Mid-Mission and End-of-Mission Assessments contain rubrics with “A Progression towards Mastery” showing different levels of student understanding for a standard, and many of the Multiple Means of … boxes provide strategies for addressing common errors and misconceptions. Examples include:

• In Mission 1, Mid-Mission Assessment, Topic A, K.MD.3, “Step 1: Student shows little evidence of identifying or explaining similarities or differences. Student is almost non-responsive. Step 2: Student shows evidence of beginning to identify similarities and differences but is unable to explain those similarities or differences using words. Step 3: Student correctly identifies both sets of bears but provides a partial explanation of how the bears are similar or different. OR Student can explain the similarities and differences but cannot identify one of the sets of bears. (ELLs may point to express their insights.) Step 4: The student correctly *identifies the two large bears as being identical. *identifies similarities by attribute (size, color, type, etc.) *Explains, in words, how the two bears differ based on either size or shade.”
• In Mission 1, Topic F, Lesson 26, the Multiple Means of Representation box states, “Because understanding the number 10 deserves special attention, support students by using different representations of 10 (fingers, pennies, ten frames of different objects, pictures, and other visuals of 10 objects scattered and on 5-group mats) if they are struggling to master this important milestone.”
• In Mission 3, End-of-Mission Assessment, Topic E, K.OA.3, “Step 1: Student: *Writes random or no numbers in the number bonds. *Is unable to represent the story using cubes or a number tool. Step 2: Student: Writes two numbers that are close but an incorrect number pair for 10 in the number bond. *Represents the story incorrectly with cues and the number bond. OR Student performs one of the tasks correctly with some teacher response. Step 3: Student: *Writes a correct number pair for 10 in the number bond. OR *Represents the story correctly using cubes or a number bond. Step 4: Student correctly: *Writes a number pair for 10 in the number bond. *Represents the story using cubes and a number bond.”
• In Mission 5, End of Mission Assessment, Topic D, K.CC1, K.CC.2, “Step 1: Student shows little evidence of counting ability or understanding. Step 2: Student shows evidence of beginning to understand counting by 10s and 1s but skips or repeats numbers often, resulting in an inaccurate count. Step 3: Student is unable to perform one of the tasks. Step 4: Student correctly: *Counts up by 10s using the Say Ten and regular ways. *Counts the dots from 11 to 20 the Say Ten way. *Counts from 28 to 34 the regular way. *Counts a number between 11 and 20 the regular way.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Zearn Math Kindergarten meet expectations that materials provide opportunities for ongoing review and practice, with feedback, for students in learning both concepts and skills.

Each lesson starts with an opportunity for ongoing review and practice through the Fluency Practice portion of each lesson. Examples include:

• In Mission 2, Topic A, Lesson 2, Fluency Practice, Groups of Six, “This maintenance fluency activity helps students gain efficiency in counting objects in varied configurations.” The teacher plays music and when the music stops students find a corner. Each corner can only have six people in it. 
• In Mission 4, Topic H, Lesson 38, Fluency Practice, Building 1 More and 1 Less Towers states, “Students practice counting up and down by 1 more or 1 less to support the addition of 1 using 5 groups and equations.”
• In Mission 6, Topic A, Lesson 2, Core Fluency Sprint B states, “Write in the missing number, 1. $$2-1= \square$$ 2. $$4-1= \square$$.” 

The instructional materials reviewed for Zearn Math Kindergarten meet expectations that materials offer ongoing formative and summative assessments, clearly denoting which standards are being emphasized. 

Beginning in Mission 5, most lessons provide an Exit Ticket which assesses the learning of new content addressed in the Lesson portion of the lesson and state standards assessed. Examples include: 

• In Mission 3, End-of-Mission Assessment, Topic G, Item 3, “(Write the numerals 8 and 4.) Use the words more than to compare these two numerals.”
• In Mission 5, Topic C, Lesson 14, Exit Ticket, “Count the stars. Write the number in the box. Whisper count and draw in more dots to match the number.”
• In Mission 6, Topic B, Lesson 7, Exit Ticket, “If you drew two straight lines inside the gray rectangle, what shapes might you find? Circle them.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Zearn Math Kindergarten meet expectations that materials provide strategies to help teachers sequence or scaffold lessons so that the content is accessible to all learners.

Each Mission Organizer contains Notes on Pacing for Differentiation. Some lessons include a Multiple Means of Representation side box in the Teacher’s Full Mission PDF that provides scaffolding strategies. Examples include:

• In Mission 2, Overview, Notes on Pacing for Differentiation states, “If pacing is a challenge, consider omitting lessons 5 and 8. Instead, embed experiences with position words in other content areas and throughout the students’ day. It is not essential that students be introduced to position words through the context of shapes.”
• In Mission 3, Topic A, Lesson 3, Note: Multiple Means of Representation states, “Students who are struggling to make comparisons may benefit from extra practice. Determining what objects are longer than or shorter than helps to prepare students for comparing two different lengths with a third object in this lesson.”
• In Mission 5, Overview, Notes on Pacing for Differentiation states, “If writing numbers 21-100 overwhelms students, omit the Problem Sets in Lesson 15, 16, and 17. Instead, complete the verbal counting activities in the lessons that prepare them for numeral writing to 100 as required in Grade 1. This allows for completion of these three lessons in just one or two days. Lesson 19 is exploratory in nature and addresses some standards beyond the level of Kindergarten. It works well as an extension lesson if students are advancing quickly, but if pacing is a challenge, it could be omitted.”
• In Mission 6, Topic A, Lesson 1, Note: Multiple Means of Engagement states, “Scaffold understanding of ordinal numbers by modeling them for students who may need additional support. Ask students to get up one at a time to demonstrate first in line, second in line, and third in line. While pointing to each corresponding student, have students practice saying who is first, second, and third in line.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Zearn Math Kindergarten meet expectations for providing teachers with strategies for meeting the needs of a range of learners. Both the Multiple Means of Representation side boxes in the Teacher’s Full Mission PDF and Using Digital Activities to Support Each Student’s Developing Math Understanding provide strategies for meeting the needs of a range of learners. Examples of strategies for meeting the needs of a range of learners include:

• In Mission 2, Topic A, Lesson 1, Note: Multiple Means of Engagement states, “For enrichment, ask questions that engage thinking at higher levels. ‘What would that shape look like if it was not flat? Can you make a picture of that shape but make it so that it is sticking up?’”
• In Mission 5, Topic A, Lesson 1, Note: Multiple Means of Action and Expression states, “For enrichment, challenge students by providing extensions to the Word Problem such as: 1. If Marta had 15 peanuts to start with, how many does she have left? 2. How many more peanuts does Marta need to have 10 in her hand? 3. Draw a picture to show Marta’s peanuts.”
• In Mission 6, Topic A, Lesson 6, Note: Multiple Means of Engagement states, “Students who need additional support may benefit from extra practice creating a variety of three- and four-sided shapes. Give them extended time with a geoboard.”
• Kindergarten Guide to Using Digital Activities, Using Digital Activities to Support Each Student’s Developing Math Understanding, Mission 1, Hop Skip Splash! 10 Activities, Multiple Means of Engagement, “This intentional limited use of language allows students to focus on the mathematics without having to overcome any language barriers. Offer sentence frames such as “I knew to count forward because…” or “When the first number in the sequence was not 1, I had to…”
• Kindergarten Guide to Using Digital Activities, Using Digital Activities to Support Each Student’s Developing Math Understanding, Mission 3, Sum Snacks, 6 Activities, Multiple Means of Engagement, “The prompts used in Sum Snacks are deliberately short, and the combination of on-screen text and on-screen pictures of the animals and fruit will help ELLs with language development, both mathematical language and everyday language. Offer sentence frames such as “I know to stop adding fruit when…” or “I found the total by…” or “I need more to make ten.”
• Kindergarten Guide to Using Digital Activities, Using Digital Activities to Support Each Student’s Developing Math Understanding, Mission 5, The Counting Train, 6 Activities, Multiple Means of Engagement, “In order to further support language development, consider using the guiding questions above to encourage students to make connections between representations and language. Offer sentence frames such as “I found the total by…” or “The train helped me see that…”

The instructional materials reviewed for Zearn Math Kindergarten meet expectations for embedding tasks with multiple entry-points that can be solved using a variety of solution strategies or representations.

Within the lesson, Word Problems and Problem Sets provide opportunities for students to solve using multiple entry-points. Examples include:

• In Mission 2, Topic A, Lesson 2, Word Problem states, “It’s pizza time! On a piece of paper, draw a large, round pizza pie. Don’t forget your favorite toppings! With your crayons, show how you would cut the pizza into enough slices for your family. Compare your slices to those of a partner. Are they alike? Carefully describe the shape of a slice to your partner. Note: The purpose of this problem is two-fold; first, to have the students create three-sided figures, and second, to set up a potential non-example for use later in the lesson. The curved edge of the crust in their drawing means that the slices are not actually triangles.”
• In Mission 4, Topic C, Lesson 15, Word Problem states, “You are having a party! You get 8 presents. 2 presents have stripes, and 6 presents have polka dots. Draw the presents, and write the number sentences two different ways on your personal white board. Note: Decomposition and composition of the number 8 serves as an anticipatory story context for this lesson.”
• In Mission 6, Topic B, Lesson 5, Lesson states, “Find two squares in your pattern block box. How do you know they are squares? (S: They each have four sides.The sides are all the same length. They have corners like an L. They look like the face of a cube!) Place the squares on your personal white board. See if you can make a different rectangle from your squares. (Pause.) Tell me about your work.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Zearn Math Kindergarten meet expectations for suggesting support, accommodations, and modifications for English Language Learners and other special populations that will support their regular and active participation in learning mathematics.

Many lessons include a Multiple Means of Representation side box in the Teacher’s Full Mission PDF that provides strategies for meeting the needs of English Language Learners. Examples of strategies provided for English Language Learners include:

• In Mission 2, Topic A, Lesson 2, Note: Multiple Means of Engagement states, “Support English Language Learners’ capacity to discuss how the shapes they made on their geoboards are examples of triangles by providing them with sentence frames such as, ‘My shape is a triangle because it has . . .’ to use as discussion starters with their partners.”
• In Mission 3, Topic D, Lesson 15, Note: Multiple Means of Action and Expression states, “Scaffold the lesson for English Language Learners by using motions. For example, hold up the scoop when directing students to count the scoops it takes to fill their containers, and hold up the funnel when directing students to use the funnel if they need it.”
• In Mission 5, Topic A, Lesson 5, Note: Multiple Means of Action and Expression states, “Support English Language Learners by using gestures during the lesson. Flash 10, and gesture with your hands for the word. Flash 1. Gesture again for the word. This engages students to figure out the intent and bypasses potential confusion in oral directions.”
• Kindergarten Guide to Using Digital Activities, Using Digital Activities to Support Each Student’s Developing Math Understanding, Mission 2, The Counting Train, 4 Activities, Multiple Means of Engagement, “The Counting Train was specifically designed to limit the use of language, allowing all students, including English Language Learners, greater access. There are no on-screen directions for students to read, and the activity remains constant: select the number that represents the total number of objects. This intentional limited use of language allows students to focus on the mathematics without having to overcome any language barriers.”
• Kindergarten Guide to Using Digital Activities, Using Digital Activities to Support Each Student’s Developing Math Understanding, Mission 4, Sum Snacks, 10 Activities, Multiple Means of Engagement, “It is common for ELLs to struggle with numbers 11 to 19 as their names do not make their meanings clear nor is there a clear language pattern from 11 to 19. Hearing these numbers read aloud while also having a visual representation on screen will help students master the numbers 11 to 19. Offer sentence frames such as “I know to stop adding fruit when…” or “I found the total by…”
• Kindergarten Guide to Using Digital Activities, Mission 6, Make and Break, 5 Activities, Multiple Means of Engagement, “To help support K students still learning to read, including English Language Learners (ELLs) and other students of special populations who would benefit from extra audio support, Make and Break uses audio prompts to direct students. Make sure your students know that they can replay the directions by pressing the read aloud button on each screen. The prompts used in Make and Break are deliberately short, and the combination of on-screen text, color, and the on-screen five frame will help ELLs with language development, both mathematical language and everyday language.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Zearn Math Kindergarten meet expectations that materials provide a balanced portrayal of various demographic and personal characteristics.

The materials have very few graphics of adults and children. When seen, a variety of demographics and personal characteristics are presented. A variety of names are used in word problems. Examples include:

• In Mission 4, Topic A, Lesson 1, Word Problem states, “Julia went to the beach and found 3 seashells. Her sister Megan found 2 seashells. Draw the seashells the girls found. How many did they find in all? Talk to your partner about how you know.”
• In Mission 4, Topic B, Lesson 12, a picture of a female student with brown skin is shown to represent the relationship between 5 and 10. The materials state, “A student demonstrates 7 as 5 on the top and 2 on the bottom.”
• In Mission 6, Topic B, Lesson 7, Fluency Template, a picture of a clipart, female, coach with brown skin is shown at the top of the My Sprint Progress Log.