Instructional Materials Reviewed

New Curriculum Review: McGraw Hill’s Reveal Math

September 6, 2022March 17, 2019

Is your district looking for a new comprehensive math program to support blended learning? Take a look at Learning List’s curriculum review of McGraw Hill’s Reveal Math for middle school mathematics, Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra 2

McGraw Hill’s Reveal Math is a set of comprehensive materials for middle school mathematics, Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra 2 available in print and online. The material is designed with a focus on rigor, productive struggle and facilitating discussions about math. Lessons focus on exploration, conversation and reflection.

Reveal Math distinct tools and design support learning in blended environments. Interactive presentations, point of use videos, animations, and a varied set of online math modeling tools partner with the interactive student edition to provide a unique classroom environment and personalize learning. Videos support teachers’ development of content knowledge and pedagogy, and digital teacher tools facilitate lesson and grade management, monitoring student progress, and assessment. [Read more...]

New Product: Heinemann’s Fountas and Pinnell Classroom™

September 6, 2022February 25, 2019

Learning List recently reviewed Heinemann’s Fountas and Pinnell Classroom™, which is a comprehensive reading product that supports literacy instruction in grades K-6. Instruction supports students’ ability to think within, beyond, and about text to make meaning. Six principles form the foundation of the system: coherence, responsive teaching, student inquiry, multi-text approach, language-based, and teacher expertise. The product includes print and online components. This review is of materials for Kindergarten through 3^rd grade.

Fountas & Pinnell Classroom ™ supports balanced literacy and reader’s workshop frameworks. Learning and assessment is designed for whole group (interactive read-aloud, shared reading, reading minilesson, and phonics), small group (guided reading and book clubs), and individual (independent reading and phonics) settings. The product is designed around the principle of responsive teaching, and therefore is student centered. The system includes collections of leveled readers and trade books, as well as text sets for book clubs. [Read more. . . ]

New Product Review: Heinemann Units of Study for Teaching Reading

August 16, 2022February 13, 2019

Learning List has reviewed Heinemann’s Units of Study for Teaching Reading, which is a supplemental reading product for students in grades K-5. The program is primarily a curriculum framework for teachers and is made up of a set of print and online teaching resources. Reading instruction is provided using a workshop model that focuses on creating avid readers who are able to access and understand increasingly complex texts. Teaching Reading dovetails with Heinemann’s Units of Study in Opinion, Information, and Narrative Writing for grades K-5. Learning List has reviewed the Units of Study writing program.

Based on the work of Lucy Calkins and the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Teachers College, Columbia University, Units of Study incorporates a workshop approach to teaching reading skills. At each grade level, content is organized in four units that last between four and five weeks. Grades K-2 include a foundational unit as well as three units that address reading fictional and informational texts. Instruction at grades 3-5 is organized in two reading fiction units and two reading informational texts units.

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New Product Reviews: Sirius STAAR Preparation and Practice Products

September 6, 2022February 4, 2019

Sirius Education Solutions provides supplemental test-preparation products that help Texas middle school and high school students prepare for STAAR exams. Content is available in print format. Learning List recently reviewed the following Sirius products:

U.S. History EOC [end-of-course exam]: STAAR Preparation and Practice (high school)
English I EOC All-in-One STAAR Preparation and Practice: Reading/Writing
English II EOC All-in-One STAAR Preparation and Practice: Reading/Writing
Algebra I EOC: STAAR Readiness Review and Practice

[Read more…]

New Product Reviews: Edmentum Study Island Middle School and High School

September 6, 2022January 30, 2019

Edmentum’s Study Island is a supplemental online resource that prepares students in grades K-12 for standardized tests. Across courses and grades, Study Island supports teacher-guided instruction and independent study. Instruction emphasizes preparation for standardized tests, including Texas’ STAAR exams and CCSS exams (e.g., PARCC).

Learning List recently reviewed mathematics materials for grades 7 and 8 and the high school Algebra I. Learning List’s reviews address the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSS-M) for and the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Learning List also reviewed a TEKS course for high school U.S. History.

Study Island begins instruction for each grade and course with a diagnostic test and/or pre-test that assesses students’ existing knowledge. Subsequent content is presented in a set of online lessons and practice activities formatted to reflect standardized tests. Some lessons include printable worksheets, interactive flashcards, and/or video-based content. Instruction ends with a post-test to be completed when students have finished all lessons. [Read more…]

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: Savvas Stats in Your World

September 6, 2022January 23, 2019

Learning List has reviewed Savvas’s Stats in Your World, which is a comprehensive product that supports instruction in high school statistics courses. Content is available in print and eBook formats and includes a variety of resources housed in Savvas’s “MyStatLab™” online platform. Instruction emphasizes the use of real-world data to introduce statistical concepts, develop statistical analysis skills, and enable students to “think statistically.”

Stats in Your World’s examples focus on real-world problems and applications of statistics that will be familiar to college-bound students (e.g., random assignment of students to dorms) and each chapter contains a discussion of common errors made in analyzing statistical data and interpreting results. [Read more…]

New Product Review: Matific Math Learning Platform

August 16, 2022January 16, 2019

$Matific Logo$

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: Savvas Elementary Statistics: Picturing the World

August 30, 2022January 14, 2019

Learning List has reviewed Savvas’s Elementary Statistics: Picturing the World, which is a comprehensive product that supports instruction in high school statistics courses. Content is available in print and eBook formats and includes a variety of resources housed in Savvas’s “MyLab™” online platform. Instruction is algebra-based and emphasizes the importance of statistics in real-world contexts and the practical applications of skills.

Elementary Statistics begins with a preface that describes the course’s resources, including those found in MyStatLab and a short “How to Study Statistics” feature that provides a set of study strategies. MyStatLab contains an “Orientation” and “Getting Ready for Statistics” activities that are not included in the text. Elementary Statistics text-based content is organized in four parts: (1) Descriptive Statistics, (2) Probability and Probability Distributions, (3) Statistical Inference, and (4) More Statistical Inference. [Read More…]

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