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New Product Review: Edgenuity Texas Algebraic Reasoning

September 6, 2022January 28, 2019

Edgenuity provides a comprehensive, online course that supports instruction in Texas high school Algebraic Reasoning courses. Content addresses the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and is appropriate for blended learning and/or self-paced instructional environments. Video-based lessons focus on developing students’ understanding of algebraic concepts and the applications of algebra in solving real-world problems.

Algebraic Reasoning deepens students’ understanding of a variety of functions (e.g., polynomial, rational, logarithmic) and introduces advanced concepts in algebra, such as matrices and their applications. Students learn to interpret, analyze, compare, contrast, and connect functions in both mathematical and real-world solutions. Instruction addresses the use of models to solve real world problems. Content is organized in ten units that are made up of lessons that address specific concepts (e.g., function inverses, Cramer’s Rule). [Read More…]

New Product Review: Matific Math Learning Platform

August 16, 2022January 16, 2019

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Learning List has reviewed Matific Math Learning Platform, which is a supplemental online product that supports mathematics instruction in grades K-6. Content addresses a variety of standards, including the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills and the Common Core State Standards. Instruction is presented in adaptive “episodes” (i.e., learning games) that help students discover mathematics concepts independently.

At each grade level, Matific presents instruction in interactive games and simulations. Each activity is linked to a grade and concept (e.g., grade 3, division), as well as a variety of learning standards. Teachers may select the relevant standards (e.g., TEKS) using a drop-down menu. Most activities include guidance for students in how to complete learning tasks. When guidance is text-based, an audio reader is provided. [Read more…]

New Product Review: The Curriculum Center for Family and Consumer Science Dollars and Sense

July 12, 2022January 7, 2019

Learning List recently reviewed The Curriculum Center for Family and Consumer Sciences’ (CCFCS) Dollars and Sense. The product was submitted for state adoption in Texas in response to the Texas Education Agency’s Proclamation 2019 call for high school Personal Financial Literacy products aligned to the new PFL Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Dollars and Sense is a comprehensive online course that is designed for teacher use. The interactive syllabus contain links to printable student materials (e.g., worksheets). Stand-alone student materials (e.g., a textbook) are not provided.

Dollars and Sense includes clear links to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Texas high school PFL and Dollars and Sense courses as well as national standards (e.g., National Standards in Personal Financial Education). Content is organized in an online syllabus with topics such as the “Importance of Financial Planning,” “Consequences of Economic Decisions,” and “Careers.” Each topic is broken into one or more subtopics. For example, the topic titled “Big-Ticket Purchases” is broken into two subtopics: “Big purchases (other than houses)” and “Housing.” Most content is delivered in PowerPoint presentations; PowerPoint presentations and other teaching resources may be printed for student use. [Read more…]

New Product Review: Ramsey Education Foundations in Personal Finance: High School Edition

November 29, 2023December 19, 2018

Learning List recently reviewed Ramsey Education’s Foundations in Personal Finance: High School Edition, which was submitted for state adoption in Texas in response to the Texas Education Agency’s Proclamation 2019 call for high school Personal Financial Literacy products aligned to the new PFL Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Foundations in Personal Finance: High School Edition is a comprehensive resource to support instruction in Texas high school PFL courses. Content is available in print and online formats. The program integrates videos featuring financial experts with text-based content. Instruction addresses avoiding debt, budgeting effectively, investing, and giving.

Foundations in Personal Finance includes a direct instruction videos in which a financial expert explains some aspect of personal finance (e.g., “Basic Rules of Investing”). Most videos are developed specifically for the course, and some feature the authors speaking to an audience of students about the importance of money management. Print-based resources roughly correspond to Ramsey Education’s Foundations in Personal Finance online course (i.e., the two versions are not identical), and both versions incorporate videos. The print version includes a student workbook that accompanies the videos. The workbook cues students when to watch the video and includes pages with fill-in-the blank sentences that students complete while they watch. After the video, students respond to content in prompts for short journal entries (e.g., “If you were giving advice to a friend, what would you say are the most important things to know about investing?”).

New Product Review: Zaner-Bloser Spelling Connections Texas

August 16, 2022December 17, 2018

Learning List recently reviewed Zaner-Bloser Spelling Connections 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), including the spelling TEKS. Spelling Connections Texas is a comprehensive spelling product for students in grades 1-6. Content is available in print and digital formats. Instruction focuses on grade-appropriate word lists that incorporate the words students encounter most when reading, writing, and speaking, as well as frequently misspelled words. Lessons focus on recognizing spelling patterns and applying patterns to increasingly challenging words.

At each grade level, Spelling Connections is organized in weekly units that are made up of daily lessons that are designed to be implemented in 15-minute periods. Across grades, instruction incorporates sorting activities that help students recognize and understand the similarities and differences in how words are spelled. Word sorts may be completed using Zaner-Bloser’s spelling cards or using online resources. Sorting may be implemented in a variety of formats, including teacher-led activities, partners, or individual student work. Lessons connect spelling to phonics (grades 1-3) or vocabulary (grades 4-6), reading, and writing. [Read more…]

New Product Reviews: B.E. Publishing Personal Financial Literacy Products

August 12, 2022December 10, 2018

Learning List recently reviewed B.E. Publishing’s Personal Financial Literacy and GoVenture. Both products were submitted for state adoption in Texas in response to the Texas Education Agency’s Proclamation 2019 call for high school Personal Financial Literacy products aligned to the new PFL Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Personal Financial Literacy is a comprehensive resource that focuses on the skills students need to set goals and manage their work and personal financial lives. GoVenture is an interactive simulation game in which students set life goals, make decisions (e.g., purchasing a home), and experience the effects of decisions (e.g., good or poor credit ratings). GoVenture may be used as a supplement to another core PFL program or as a comprehensive resource for PFL courses that require 110 hours of instruction.

Personal Financial Literacy is organized in six units: (1) Plan, (2) Earn, (3) Manage, (4) Save & Spend, (5) Invest, and (6) Protect. Instruction emphasizes the importance of goal setting and the SMART goal framework; that is, goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-focused, and Time-based. Course resources address Precision Exams’ standards for certification in General Financial Literacy and Personal Financial Management; Learning List has not verified alignment to these standards. [Read more…]

New Product Review: EduSpark Lengua, Ritmo y Cultura

August 12, 2022December 5, 2018

EduSpark’s Lengua, Ritmo y Cultura is a Spanish language arts and reading (SLAR) program developed specifically for Texas students in grades K-5. Content is organized in print and online materials. Instruction supports the development of Spanish-language skills in dual language programs. Resources are designed to provide age-appropriate instruction in Spanish for students whose first language is not Spanish. Lengua, Ritmo y Cultura incorporates authentic reading selections from a variety of Spanish-speaking countries, as well as works written specifically for the program by Texans of Latino ancestry.

At each grade level, Lengua, Ritmo y Cultura is organized in kits that include print student materials (i.e., textbooks and workbooks), digital lesson resources, and a Teacher Guide. Student textbooks at each grade level are made up of 36 lessons. At grade K-2, textbooks are organized in 12 units made up of three lessons each and textbooks at grades 3-5 are comprised of 9 units made up of four lessons each. Across grades, the first lesson in each unit addresses foundational language skills (e.g., pronunciation). Lesson 2 covers phonological awareness (grades K-2), phonics, spelling, and vocabulary (grades 3-5). Lesson 3 focuses on reading comprehension skills using multiple genres of authentic Spanish texts, and Lesson 4 for grades 3-5 addresses writing skills. [Read more…]

New Product Review: Perfection Learning’s Benson Handwriting with Reading and Language Arts

August 12, 2022November 19, 2018

Perfection Learning’s Benson Handwriting with Reading and Language Arts is a comprehensive handwriting product for students in grades K-5. Core content is available in print format and includes software-based and online resources. This review is of print materials only. Handwriting instruction emphasizes fluency and legibility. Students learn to print in grades K and 1, and to use cursive in grades 2 and 3. At grades 4 and 5, students apply handwriting skills in tasks related to English language arts and reading (ELAR). Learning List also reviewed Benson Escritura, the Spanish-language version of Benson Handwriting.

Benson Handwriting organizes content in grades K-3 in units that group letters based on the strokes used to form the letters. For example, in grades K and 1, the printed letters L, I, T, and F are grouped in a unit because they begin with same pencil stroke. Students transition from print to cursive in grade 2. Workbooks at grades 4 and 5 revisit handwriting basics (e.g., letter and number formation), but most instruction is delivered in lessons that address ELAR/SLAR content such as root words, subject/verb agreement, and approaches to text structure (e.g., compare/contrast). [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: ThinkCERCA

August 12, 2022October 15, 2018

Learning List recently reviewed ThinkCERCA, 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). ThinkCERCA is an online learning platform that helps students in grades 3-12 develop literacy and critical thinking skills across the core subject areas. Instruction focuses on developing close reading and academic writing skills. ThinkCERCA’s Texas Edition addresses the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for English language arts/reading (ELAR) and supports instruction in blended learning environments. Learning List reviewed materials for grades 6-8.

ThinkCERCA focuses on developing students’ ability to read texts and produce written responses using the CERCA framework: (1) make Claims, (2) support claims with textual Evidence, (3) explain their Reasoning, (4) recognize Counterarguments, and (5) use language that appeals to a particular Audience. Core instruction is presented in modular “CERCA Sets” that cover content from across the core subject areas (i.e., English/language arts, science, mathematics, and social studies). Many CERCA Sets are not grade specific. [Read more…]

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