Instructional Materials Reviewed

Trends in Materials Designed for NGSS

August 12, 2022February 24, 2020

The Next Generation Science Standards are impacting science education for approximately 71% of United States students. As of January 2020, twenty states have adopted the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which are based on the National Research Council Framework for K-12 Science Education. An additional twenty-four states have adopted their own standards that are based on the National Research Council Framework for K-12 Science Education.

As teachers across the country have realized, NGSS changes the expectation for what science instruction looks like. NGSS moves students beyond just knowing science and demonstrating their knowledge through completing scripted science experiments and demonstrations to doing science and solving problems like scientists and engineers. This means the materials for science instruction have to change, too.

Factors to Consider When Selecting Intervention Materials

July 12, 2022February 19, 2020

When our Learning List team talks to district staff, we hear a variety of responses to the question, “How are you currently selecting resources to support Tier I intervention?” Answers range from systemic processes with district-wide solutions to teachers each selecting their own materials from multiple sources. The results of intervention are equally varied. Ensuring successful intervention requires consideration of multiple factors that can be addressed by answering the following questions:

New Product: IXL Learning for Mathematics TEKS

August 30, 2022February 3, 2020

Is your district looking for a digital program to provide personalized math practice? Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of IXL Learning’s Math for grades 4-6.

IXL Learning is a supplemental online program providing content for grades PK-12 that includes language arts, math, social studies, and science. Learning List recently reviewed the math content for grade 4-6, which provides math practice problems and explanations based on diagnostic assessment results. The program intends to offer a personalized learning experience to meet students’ individual learning needs.

7 Trends in Materials’ Supports for English Learners

July 1, 2022January 30, 2020

Districts increasingly are contacting us for assistance finding high quality materials to support ELs. Whether, and if so, how materials support ELs is part of Learning List’s quality review rubric. Having reviewed thousands of materials, we have observed seven trends in how instructional materials address the needs of ELs:

New Product: Mentoring Minds ThinkUp! Math for TEKS

July 12, 2022January 28, 2020

Do you need a product to support student mastery of the TEKS for math? Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of Mentoring Minds ThinkUp! Math.

Mentoring Minds ThinkUp! Math is a comprehensive mathematics product that supports TEKS-based instruction in grades 1 through 8. Content is available in print with an online pre-assessment. ThinkUp! Math is designed to help students develop critical thinking skills and connect math to real world situations. The material also supports instruction in the 9 Traits of Critical Thinking™ as defined by Mentoring Minds.

New Product: Voyager Sopris Learning’s Voyager Passport for TEKS

September 6, 2022January 26, 2020

Does your district have students who would benefit from teacher-led reading intervention? Take a look at Learning List’s review of Voyager Passport published by Voyager Sopris Learning.

Voyager Passport is a teacher-led reading intervention for students with reading challenges. The materials are available in both print and digital formats. The digital materials mirror the print materials. The goal of the program is to help students develop the skills and strategies they need to be on-grade-level readers.

New Product: Fast ForWord®

August 30, 2022January 24, 2020

Scientific Learning’s Fast ForWord® K12 is a digitally-based reading intervention program for students in grades K-12. It 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 Review: Edmentum’s Study Island

September 6, 2022January 22, 2020

Does your district need a digital program to supplement core instruction? Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of Edmentum’s Study Island.

Edmentum’s Study Island is a digital, supplemental program designed to support student learning in the four core subjects for students in grades K-12. Learning List recently published reviews of the content for grade 8 social studies and grade 7 and 8 ELA; reviews of Study Island content for other subjects and grade levels were published previously.

5 Considerations When Selecting Credit Recovery Materials

July 15, 2022January 20, 2020

The goal of credit recovery programs is to help students recover credit and increase the likelihood of on-time high school graduation. Credit recovery is challenging to schedule and manage and is frequently a significant expense for districts. State requirements for credit recovery vary, but one element they have in common is the need to provide quality instructional materials that meet the needs of the students.

Learning List has reviewed numerous credit recovery materials. We share the following 5 factors to consider when selecting instructional materials for credit recovery.

New Product: MobyMax Mathematics K-8

September 6, 2022January 1, 2020

Is your district looking for a digital product to support math instruction? Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of MobyMax for math.

MobyMax is a supplemental online program that supports a variety of content areas for grades K-8. Learning List recently reviewed the math content for grades K-8. The program focuses on filling learning gaps and helping struggling learners achieve grade-level performance.

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