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New Product: Fast ForWord® for K-5

August 30, 2022June 4, 2020

Is your district looking for a reading intervention program that students can use independently? Take a look at Learning List’s review of Scientific Learning’s Fast ForWord K-12^®.

Scientific Learning’s Fast ForWord K12 is a digitally-based reading intervention program for students in grades K-12. Learning List just completed reviews of this materials for grades K-5, as a follow-up to our reviews for grade 6-12 in January, 2020. Fast ForWord K12 is comprised of two primary components, Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant Plus. The purpose of the program is to support the development of foundational literacy skills and is intended for students who are struggling readers.

New Product: Agile Mind Texas Mathematics

August 30, 2022June 2, 2020

Is your district looking for mathematics materials to support blended learning? Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of Agile Mind Texas Mathematics for grades 6-8.

Agile Mind’s Texas Mathematics is a comprehensive math program for students in grades 6-8. The program enables students to interact with content in a variety of ways while addressing individual learning needs. The material is available in print and digital forms, and is intended to support TEKS-based instruction.

Finding Materials to Support English Learners Successfully

July 21, 2022May 6, 2020

Districts increasingly are reaching out to us for assistance in finding materials to support English Learners (ELs). Some districts are seeking comprehensive materials with strong support for ELs; others are seeking materials specifically designed to support EL students’ language acquisition. Learning List has reviewed both types. In January, we wrote about seven trends we have observed in materials’ support for ELs. This article discusses the types of supports to look for when seeking materials to support ELs successfully.

New Product: McGraw-Hill’s Common Places: Integrated Reading and Writing

August 30, 2022May 4, 2020

Does your district need instructional materials to support high school students in developing critical reading and writing skills? Take a look at Learning List’s review of Common Places: Integrated Reading and Writing.

McGraw-Hill’s Common Places: Integrated Reading and Writing is intended to support students in the development of college-level reading and writing skills. The material is available as part of McGraw-Hill’s higher education offerings. It is available in print or digital forms. The goal of the material is to help students read from the writer’s perspective and write for specific purposes and audiences.

New Products: Edmentum’s Courseware for Algebra I and English 9

August 30, 2022April 30, 2020

Does your district need digital materials to support distance or blended learning? Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of Edmentum’s Courseware Algebra I and English 9 for CCSS.

New Products: High School Science Dimensions for NGSS

August 30, 2022April 23, 2020

Is your district looking for high school science materials to support implementation of the NGSS? Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Science Dimensions for Biology, Earth and Space Science, and Chemistry.

In Answer to the DMN’s Editorial…

August 12, 2022April 21, 2020

This weekend, while I was walking with a teacher friend (keeping an appropriate social distance and wearing our masks), I asked how she is managing teaching her second grade class. She said she misses seeing her students every day, and lamented that she has had to rely on district-provided online materials a lot more than she ever did in the past. I asked her how well she liked using the online materials. The materials, she explained, use games to teach, and while her students found them engaging, she feared that the materials are not well aligned to the standards. I asked whether her district had reviewed the materials before she used them. She responded, “I doubt they had the time.”

New Product Update: Cosenza’s TEKS Companion

September 6, 2022April 15, 2020

Does your district need a resource to support intervention, preparation for STAAR, or independent instruction in middle school math? Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of Cosenza’s TEKS Companion.

Cosenza’s TEKS Companion is a supplemental resource for grades 3-8 and Algebra I. The material is available in print and consists of a student workbook and a brief teacher’s manual. It is designed to support TEKS-based instruction, providing background information on the student expectations and numerous practice problems.

How Can Instructional Materials Support Growth Mindset?

March 13, 2023April 13, 2020

Growth Mindset, a term coined by Carol Dweck, addresses the beliefs and resulting actions that people have about learning. People with a growth mindset believe that their abilities, intelligence levels, and skills will improve over time and as a result of effort. They believe they can learn.

Much of what is written about growth mindset and the strategies to develop it focuses on pedagogy. While establishing a growth mindset culture in the classroom is primarily dependent on the teacher’s behavior, expectations, and instruction, the design and contents of the instructional materials can also support or hinder the development of a growth mindset.

The Science of Reading and Early Reading Instruction

August 17, 2022April 9, 2020

The reading wars continue. If your teachers are debating the best way to approach reading instruction, we offer the articles below to inform the discussions in your district.

The Hechinger Institute’s article “Four Things You Need to Know About the New Reading Wars,” discusses phonics instruction, balanced literacy, and reading comprehension, referencing additional articles including some of those listed below.

The Center for the Collaborative Classroom recently interviewed Dr. Louisa Moats, who shares her thoughts on the Common Core State Standards, the need for explicit instruction in foundational skills, and her understanding and background on the science of reading.

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