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New Product Review: Savvas Words Their Way: Word Study In Action Developmental Model

August 12, 2022November 12, 2018

Savvas’s Words Their Way (WTW): Word Study In Action Developmental Model is a supplemental product that supports reading and language arts instruction in grades K-5. Content is available in print and digital formats. Learning List recently reviewed WTW’s print and CD-ROM/DVD resources. The program uses the word study instructional model to teach phonics, spelling, word recognition, and vocabulary skills.

WTW organizes content in terms of five spelling stages: (1) Emergent-Early Letter Name, (2) Letter Name, (3) Within Word Patterns, (4) Syllables and Affixes, and (5) Derivational Relations. Across stages, instruction is centered on sorting words. That is, students learn to group words according to a set of categories that facilitate comparing and contrasting. For example, students learn to sort words or pictures by concept (e.g., fruit not a fruit), sounds (e.g., beginning sounds), letter recognition, word families (e.g., mixed vowels), and roots (e.g., Greek vs. Latin). [Read more…]

New Product Review: Learning Without Tears Handwriting Without Tears (English and Spanish)

August 12, 2022November 7, 2018

Learning Without Tears’ Handwriting Without Tears (HWT) is a comprehensive handwriting product for grades K-5. Core content is available in print format. Digital teaching resources also are available. This review is of print resources only. Instruction focuses on printing skills in grades K-1 and cursive writing in grades 2-5. HWT is available in English and Spanish and includes developmentally appropriate visual, tactile, auditory, and kinesthetic activities that build handwriting skills.

Instruction is provided in 15-minute periods that fit easily into classroom routines. Content is cross-curricular and contains connections to other subject areas, particularly reading and writing. Teacher’s guides provide comprehensive guidance in teaching handwriting instruction and include detailed lesson plans. HWT’s Handwriting Interactive Teaching Tool (HITT) is available separately from the publisher and contains a variety of digital tools. [Read more…]

New Curriculum Review: Savvas Texas myView Literacy

August 22, 2022October 31, 2018

Learning List recently reviewed Savvas’s Texas myView Literacy, submitted for state adoption in Texas. Texas myView Literacy is a comprehensive English language arts and reading product for grades K-5 available in print and digital formats. This review is of online materials only. Instruction is organized using sets of mini-lessons that facilitate flexible instructional planning and a variety of instructional models.

Across grades, myView Literacy is organized in five 6-week units. Each unit addresses a cross-curricular theme focused on an essential question. For example, a grade 4 unit titled “Diversity” integrates social studies topics and asks: “How can we reach new understandings through exploring diversity?”

Each unit features a “Spotlight” genre that is the focus of instruction (e.g., informational texts) and includes works from additional genres. Across units, instruction provides a balance of authentic literary and informational texts. Students learn to read different types of content, such as maps, infographics, and timelines. [Read more…]

New Product Review: McGraw Hill Texas Wonders

August 12, 2022October 24, 2018

Learning List recently reviewed McGraw Hill’s Texas Wonders, which was submitted for state adoption in Texas in response to the Texas Education Agency’s Proclamation 2019 call for K-8 English language arts and reading (ELAR) products aligned to the new ELAR Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Texas Wonders is a comprehensive reading and language arts program for students in grades K-5. Materials are available in print and digital formats. At each grade level, instruction incorporates a balance of literary and informational texts to build close reading, analytic writing, and speaking and listening skills. Wonders also emphasizes the development of social and emotional learning.

Across grades, Wonders is structured to “Teach the Whole Child.” Instruction emphasizes the habits of learning (e.g., thinking critically, solving problems), social and emotional skills, and a positive classroom culture. At each grade level, Texas Wonders student resources include a “Reading/Writing Companion” and a “Practice Book.” The Reading/Writing Companion is at the center of instruction. The Companion addresses close reading skills, collaborative conversations, analytic writing, and foundational skills (e.g., phonics). Instruction focuses on the reading and rereading of authentic literary and informational texts for specific purposes, and the use of textual evidence to support conclusions and opinions in spoken and written communication. Students learn to discuss what they read and to produce written products that use textual evidence to support a particular view or response. [Read more…]

New Product Review: Istation

August 12, 2022October 22, 2018

Learning List recently reviewed Istation, which was submitted for state adoption in Texas in response to the Texas Education Agency’s Proclamation 2019 call for K-8 English language arts and reading (ELAR) and Spanish language arts (SLAR) products aligned to the new ELAR and SLAR Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Istation is a supplemental reading and writing program for grades PK-8. Content is available in English and Spanish. Instruction is presented digitally and includes printable resources. The adaptive program identifies and addresses gaps in student learning and supports intervention at each Response to Intervention (RtI) tier. Across grades, the program develops vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and word analysis skills.

Istation provides personalized, adaptive instruction in specific reading skills. Students complete the “Istation Indicator of Progress” (ISIP) at the beginning of the year and each month thereafter. Animated characters provide directions for ISIP tasks and examples of how to enter responses. ISIP is available in English and Spanish. Based on ISIP results, the program prescribes specific learning activities and the usage time needed to address individual student learning gaps. As students move along individualized learning paths, instruction adapts, providing more or less challenging content based on student progress. [Read more…]

New Curriculum Review: The Center for the Collaborative Classroom Collaborative Literacy

July 22, 2022October 10, 2018

Learning List recently reviewed The Center for the Collaborative Classroom’s Collaborative Literacy, which was submitted for state adoption in Texas in response to the Texas Education Agency’s Proclamation 2019 call for K-8 English language arts and reading (ELAR) products aligned to the new ELAR Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Collaborative Literacy is a comprehensive reading/language arts product for grades K-5. Resources are available in print and online formats. Instruction emphasizes the social development of upper-elementary students while building reading, writing, and spelling skills.

At each grade level, Collaborative Literacy is made up of three separate resources that, when used together, support 30 weeks of comprehensive instruction in reading and language arts. Each resource is discussed separately below. [Read more…]

New Product Review: Learning A-Z Raz-Plus ELL Edition

August 12, 2022September 24, 2018

Learning List recently reviewed Learning A-Z’s Raz-Plus ELL Edition, which was submitted for state adoption in Texas in response to the Texas Education Agency’s Proclamation 2019 call for K-8 English language arts and reading (ELAR) products aligned to the new ELAR Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Raz-Plus ELL Edition is a supplemental program that supports reading instruction in grades K-5 with instructional materials designed specifically for English language learners (ELLs). Resources are available online and may be downloaded and printed and/or displayed using classroom projection devices. Instruction focuses on developing proficient readers using cross-curricular texts that match students’ individual reading levels.

Raz-Plus content is organized in 29 reading levels (i.e., aa to Z²) that gradually increase in difficulty. Levels are identified using Learning A-Z’s proprietary “Text Leveling System.” This system considers qualitative indicators (e.g., author’s purpose), quantitative measures (e.g., word count), and reader and task considerations (e.g., student interest and skill) to provide a rounded measure of text complexity. Learning A-Z provides a “Level Correlation Chart” aligning its complexity levels with other widely used measures (e.g., Lexiles, Fountas & Pinnell). Learning A-Z’s text complexity levels are not grade specific, levels; however, they may be matched to grade levels. For example, in terms of Lexiles, texts Q-Z²range from 651L to 1,140L and support instruction across grades 3-5. [Read more…]

New Curriculum Review: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Into Reading Texas

August 12, 2022September 13, 2018

Learning List recently reviewed Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Into Reading Texas, which was submitted for state adoption in Texas in response the Texas Education Agency’s Proclamation 2019 call for K-8 English language arts and reading (ELAR) products aligned to the new ELAR Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Into Reading is a comprehensive product that supports ELAR instruction in grades K-6. Content is available in print and digital formats. Learning List reviewed online resources for grades K-5. Instruction develops students’ reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills using authentic texts from a variety of genres.

Across grades, Into Reading is organized in multi-week modules that provide access to a variety of authentic texts at varying levels of complexity. Modules are thematic and include cross-curricular topics, such as a “Global Guardians” module at grade 4 that integrates content from conservation science. Modules are organized around an essential question (e.g., “What does it take to meet a challenge?”). Reading selections include a variety of authentic, age-appropriate literary and informational texts related to the essential question. Selections include a variety of genres (e.g., historical fiction, narrative non-fiction) and representations of diverse cultures and characters. Each text has vivid illustrations that support comprehension and engage student interest. [Read more…]

New Product Review: Heinemann Primary Comprehension Toolkit

August 12, 2022August 27, 2018

Heinemann’s Primary Comprehension Toolkit is a supplemental product that supports active reading of informational texts in grades K-2. Materials are available in print only. Learning List recently reviewed resources for grades K-2. The Toolkit strives to develop active learners and responsive teachers. Instruction focuses on developing the skills to help young students understand nonfiction texts and retain what they read. Content is not grade specific. Primary Comprehension Toolkit resources may be used across grades K-2.

The Comprehension Toolkit uses the Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR) instructional model to support reading instruction in elementary classrooms. In the GRR model, teachers model skills and strategies first and then students practice skills and strategies in guided, collaborative, and independent activities. Toolkit content is organized in 34 cross-curricular lessons that integrate topics from math and science. Lessons are presented in seven separate teacher resources. [Read more…]

New Product Review: Exploros English Language Arts/Reading

August 12, 2022August 20, 2018

Exploros is an open-educational resource (OER) that provides comprehensive products that support instruction in the social studies and English language arts/reading (ELAR) core content areas. Exploros is available at no cost. Content is available online and facilitates instruction in teacher-led, technology-based learning environments, such as 1:1 programs and flipped classrooms. This review is of ELAR resources for grades 4-8.

At each grade level, Exploros organizes content in seven units that address: (1) foundational skills, (2) literary genres, (3) non-fiction texts, (4) author’s craft, (5) personal narrative, (6) the writing process, and (7) inquiry and research. Each unit is made up of a set of “experiences” or lessons that are organized using the 5E model (i.e., engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate). A “scene” or a set of online page(s) is provided for each “E” in the model. Scenes are activities related to the E of the 5E model. For example, the first scene in each lesson/experience is an engagement activity that clarifies the lesson’s learning objectives. [Read more…]

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