Instructional Materials Reviewed

New Product Review: Savvas Using & Understanding Mathematics: A Quantitative Reasoning Approach

September 6, 2022January 14, 2019

Learning List has reviewed Savvas’s Using & Understanding Mathematics: A Quantitative Reasoning Approach. This comprehensive product supports instruction in Texas’ Advanced Quantitative Reasoning (AQR) high school courses. Content is available in print and eBook formats and includes a variety of resources housed in Savvas’s “MyLab™ Math” online platform. Instruction emphasizes the importance of quantitative reasoning skills in real-world contexts and the practical applications of skills. calculator and papers

Using & Understanding Mathematics begins with a Prologue that discusses how knowledge of mathematics is important in life and careers and seeks to dispel negative attitudes about mathematics (e.g., “Math is irrelevant to my life.”). Core content is presented in twelve chapters that address the relevance of mathematics in everyday contexts. Some chapter titles include “Managing Money,” “Modeling Our World,” and “Mathematics and Politics.” [Read More…]

New Product Review: Corwin Press Puzzle Piece Phonics

August 12, 2022January 9, 2019

Learning List has reviewed Corwin Press’ Puzzle Piece Phonics (PPP), which is a supplemental product that supports word study in grades K-2. Content is available in print format. Across grades, the program provides systematic and explicit instruction in spelling and phonics patterns. Instruction incorporates puzzle piece manipulatives that help students recognize sound and spelling patterns and their connections to word structure.

PPP’s core content is organized in units, or “Concepts.” Each Concept is broken into instructional weeks that include a weekly focus. Content follows a logical sequence that builds on similarities in concepts and patterns. The pacing of instruction is deliberately measured to ensure that students have adequate time to master patterns before moving on to the next concept. [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: Decker & Associates Real Life Personal Finance

August 12, 2022December 3, 2018

Learning List recently reviewed Decker & Associates’ Real Life Personal Finance (RLPF), 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). RLPF is a comprehensive resource that supports instruction in Texas high school Personal Financial Literacy courses. Content is available online. Resources support independent study and are appropriate for students in self-paced and credit recovery learning environments. Instruction emphasizes the importance of post-secondary education in achieving career goals.

RLPF is aspirational in tone. Instruction asks a student to consider the lifestyle they would like in the future, the earnings needed to support that lifestyle, and how current decisions may affect their ability to achieve their goals. Instruction helps students identify career interests and addresses the importance of post-secondary education in pursuing career choices. [Read more…]

New Product Review: Cengage Learning Managing Your Personal Finances

August 12, 2022November 28, 2018

Learning List recently reviewed Cengage Learning’s Managing Your Personal Finances, 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). Managing Your Personal Finances is a comprehensive resource to support instruction in Personal Financial Literacy courses. Materials are available in print format and include additional online components. Learning List’s review is of print resources only. Instruction addresses personal money management, career and retirement planning, saving and investment, and credit management.

Managing Your Personal Finances is organized in six units that address: (1) Managing Careers and Income, (2) Managing Credit, (3) Managing Resources, (4) Providing Financial Security, (5) Risk Management, and (6) Consumer Rights and Responsibilities. Units open with a short overview of each chapter’s content and a related “Net Link” that links students to related content on the text’s companion website. [Read more…]

New Product Review: Universal Publishing Universal Handwriting

August 12, 2022November 26, 2018

Universal Publishing’s Universal Handwriting provides comprehensive handwriting products for grades K-5. Content is available in print format and includes interactive whiteboard tools (i.e., animations). This review is of print materials only. Instruction emphasizes correct letter formation and the importance of legibility. Teacher resources include corrective strategies to address handwriting problems.

Across grades, lessons use a three-stop process that includes: Model and Discuss, Practice, and Self-Evaluate. In Model, teachers model letter formation or use AlphamationPlus whiteboard animations of letter formations. Discussions center on the strokes used to form letters (e.g., undercurves) and students trace letters in the air or on their paper. During Practice, students complete related activities in their workbooks. Students identify their best work in Self-Evaluate and discuss what they did correctly and where they could improve. [Read more…]

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