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Learning List recently completed reviews of all materials as listed on the Proclamation 2022 Pre-Adoption Samples documents, made available by the Texas Education Agency, for Health in grades K-12.   We reviewed the materials from six publishers. Two publishers provided materials for elementary grades, two publishers middle school grades, and two publishers span middle and high school. Learning List reviewers noted six trends in the materials reviewed for health. These trends represent what educators can expect to see with most materials, but they do not represent all materials:  The materials consistently encourage students to talk to parents and/or trusted adults about health information, questions, and concerns. Some of the publishers have distinguished themselves by ensuring this characteristic is present throughout the material and that students are encouraged to first seek advice from adults, while others have emphasized this characteristic with key topics such as safety, sexual health and wellness, and health relationships and bullying. The most compelling materials focus on students as advocates for their own health, the importance of decision making, and the impact of those decisions on health and wellness. Publishers consistently address reproductive and sexual health at appropriate grade levels. Some of the publishers address reproductive and sexual health as separate supplements to student material, providing teachers with discretion as to how and when the topic is introduced, while others include it within the primary student material. Most of the materials are designed such that they can be used effectively in digital and/or remote learning environments. The most “user-friendly” materials were designed with the intention of digital use, while others provide materials in formats, such as PDF, that are easily adaptable to digital environments. The majority of materials provide a level of rigor appropriate for most students by including questions and activities at all levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy or DOK and a variety of options for differentiating instruction. The most accomplished materials include open-ended assignments, projects, or culminating tasks that focus on critical thinking, decision making, and community impact. Most publishers provide limited resources to differentiate instruction. A few publishers provide support for students at varying levels (i.e., above-, on-, and below-level) or to support students with reading and audio tools. Some secondary materials are available in English and Spanish. Elementary materials are only available in English. Get a head start on your adoption process by reading Learning List’s reviews for more details about the trends listed in this blog as well as many other topics evaluated by our reviewers.  We provide a qualitative review on the instructional content and design of the material, a technology review that will help you determine which materials are compatible with your systems, and an academic inventory that addresses key components of the core instruction. Remember, our reviewers are practicing Texas Educators who know what you are looking for when you choose instructional materials!

Are your primary teachers ready for a new program to support foundational literacy skills? Take a look at Learning List’s review of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Saxon Phonics. Saxon Phonics is a supplemental literacy program for students in kindergarten through grade 2. The program is designed to provide explicit instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency, as well as instructional support for handwriting, listening, and speaking. Throughout the program, instruction spirals, adding new learning in small increments, and continually reviewing past learning. Students participate in a variety of activities to apply what they have learned. Most of the required instructional materials are provided with the program, including numerous student-facing materials, such as cards and posters. The material provides detailed lesson plans for teachers, which include substantial support for English Learners. Read Learning List’s alignment report to learn more about the degree to which the materials support foundational skills instruction.   Learning List has also completed a qualitative review of the content and design of the instruction and a review of the product’s technology compatibility.  To learn more about this product and thousands more PreK-12 instructional materials, contact Learning List for subscription information. About Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt * Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is a global learning company committed to delivering integrated solutions that engage learners, empower educators and improve student outcomes. As a leading provider of K–12 core curriculum, supplemental solutions and professional learning services, HMH partners with educators and school districts to uncover solutions that unlock students’ potential and extend teachers’ capabilities. HMH serves more than 50 million students and 3 million educators in 150 countries, while its award-winning children's books, novels, non-fiction, and reference titles are enjoyed by readers throughout the world.  Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt .

Is your district looking for materials to support preparation for the STAAR Mathematics tests? Take a look at Learning List’s review of MathWarm-Ups.com’s Countdown to the Math STAAR. Countdown to the Math STAAR is a supplemental test-preparation product intended to help Texas students prepare for STAAR mathematics assessments. Content is available in print format, in English and Spanish. Learning List recently reviewed the content for grades 3 and 4. The materials focus on the specific Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) needed to prepare for the Texas STAAR mathematics assessments.  Specifically, Countdown to the Math STAAR provides STAAR-styled questions (e.g., multiple-choice, griddable) organized into multiple practice tests. As reviewed, Countdown to the Math STAAR also includes additional practice tests in a supplemental publication called “The Gauntlet.” Students can monitor their own progress using the “Quick Track” document, and the program encourages teachers to use student performance to gauge student learning needs by TEKS. Read Learning List’s full editorial review to learn more about the instructional design of the material and the adaptions provided for special populations.  Learning List has also completed a standard-by-standard review of the alignment of the material and a review of the product’s technology compatibility.  To learn more about this product and thousands more PreK-12 instructional materials, contact Learning List for subscription information. About MathWarm-Ups.com * MathWarm-Ups.com is a Texas company. “MathWarm-Ups.com (Baker & Petsche Publishing) has created a large selection of Texas-based Math & Language Arts Warm-Ups for students in grades two through eight to help students prepare for the Math/Reading/Writing STAAR and Algebra I EOC with these 100% 2014 TEKS-based, easy-to-implement products. All MathWarm-Ups offer valuable practice to students and serve as great assessment tools. Most products are available in Spanish.”  Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Math Warm-Ups.com .

Do your teachers need additional materials to support phonemic awareness instruction? Take a look at Learning List’s review of Heggerty’s Phonemic Awareness. Heggerty’s Phonemic Awareness is a supplemental set of lessons to develop phonemic awareness for students in kindergarten and grade 1. Materials are available in digital format or in print with some resources available for download on the publisher’s website. Learning List recently reviewed the English and Spanish materials. The material is intended to support foundational skills instruction. Each lesson includes eight phonemic awareness skills and two early literacy skills. The lessons are designed so that instruction is primarily oral, incorporating the use of hand motions to support student learning. The lessons are logically organized in the teacher’s manuals, and all required materials are included. The material is well organized and easy to use. Read Learning List’s full editorial review to learn more about how the material provides adaptions for special populations.  Learning List has also completed a standard-by-standard review of the alignment of the material, and a review of the product’s technology compatibility.  To learn more about this product and thousands more PreK-12 instructional materials, contact Learning List for subscription information. About Heggerty* Heggerty’s mission “is to equip teachers with effective and engaging products and professional elarning opportunities that help prepare and empower all students to become lifelong readers.”  Heggerty’s materials are founded in the work of Dr. Michael Heggerty, Ed.D., who began publishing his work in 2003. The company believes that the work they do will play a role in closing the literacy gap. Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Heggerty .

Is your district looking for new Science materials? Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of Mentoring Minds' ThinkUp! Science. Mentoring Minds' ThinkUp! Science is a comprehensive instructional material that supports TEKS-based instruction in grades 3 through 8. Learning List recently reviewed the content for grades 3-5, which includes a print teacher edition and a consumable print student edition. ThinkUp! Science is designed to help students develop critical thinking skills and connect science skills and knowledge to real world situations. ThinkUp! Science provides concise, organized instruction and practice focused on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for science. ThinkUp! also supports instruction in the 9 traits of Critical Thinking, as defined by Mentoring Minds, by providing activities designed to increase overall rigor and complexity through open-ended questions and activities. The design of the material supports engagement and learning for students at a variety of levels with a variety of activity types and student groupings. The material is available in English (grades 3-8) and Spanish (grades 3-5). Additionally, the material provides multiple interventions that are specific to the skills in each unit. Read Learning List’s Editorial Review to learn more about how the material supports the development of critical thinking skills. Learning List has also completed a standard-by-standard analysis of the alignment of the material to science TEKS, as well as a review of the product’s technology compatibility. To learn more about this product and thousands more PreK-12 instructional materials, contact Learning List for subscription information. About Mentoring Minds* Mentoring Minds is an educational publisher focused on the success of students. Mentoring Minds’ passion is to develop quality educational materials that encourage students to think critically for effective problem solving. Equipped with many years of educational experience, Mentoring Minds’ product development team creates materials that address relevant issues in the classroom such as critical thinking, vocabulary development, the prevention of bullying, classroom management, and accommodations for students with special needs. *Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Mentoring Minds .

Does your district need Spanish reading intervention materials? Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of Pacific Learning’s El Sistema de Intervención de Lectura (SIL) . Pacific Learning’s El Sistema de Intervención de Lectura (SIL) is a supplemental Spanish reading intervention program for students in grades K-3. The materials include leveled readers and a variety of additional materials to support reading intervention. The program is designed to support foundational literacy skills. The materials are organized in four kits (Orange, Green, Purple, and Aqua) to support on-grade level intervention. Lessons are scripted and consistently sequenced to address six to nine weeks of instruction. Students practice print awareness, letter knowledge, vocabulary, reading and writing strategies, fluency, oral language, listening skills, and comprehension. All of the teacher and student materials are provided in Spanish. English materials are not included in Pacific Learning’s El Sistema de Intervención de Lectura (SIL).  In addition to classroom materials, the program promotes home/school connection with parent letters and books for reading at home. Read Learning List’s Editorial Review to learn more about the adaptions for special populations provided by the material. Learning List has also completed a standard-by-standard analysis of the alignment of the material to the SLAR TEKS, as well as a review of the product’s technology compatibility. To learn more about this product and thousands more PreK-12 instructional materials, contact Learning List for subscription information. About Pacific Learning* Pacific Learning  is the dedicated provider of PreK–8+ literacy solutions since 1999. Their supplemental resources are research-based and designed to increase instructional excellence and student achievement. They specialize in literacy resources in the following areas: comprehension, differentiated instruction, leveled reading, interactive technology, intervention, parent involvement, and more!  *Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Pacific Learning

Does your district need Spanish reading intervention materials? Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of Pacific Learning’s El Camino al Exito. Pacific Learnings’s El Camino Al Exito is a Spanish reading program for Kindergarten students.  It is intended to prepare students to enter first grade on grade level. The material includes daily lessons, assessments, extension activities, and all required instructional materials. El Camino Al Exito is designed to support the development of foundational literacy skills in Spanish. These include phonics, phonemic awareness, and the alphabetic principle. Lessons follow a logical progression of reading development from letter and sound identification to reading words and sentences. The material supports teachers with scripted lessons, written in Spanish. Likewise, all of the instructional materials for students are provided in Spanish. Lessons are intended for small group instruction. Each lesson is designed for 20-30 minutes of instruction and can be used for beginning reading instruction or intervention. Read Learning List’s Editorial Review to learn more about the adaptions for special populations provided by the material. Learning List has also completed a review of the product’s technology compatibility. Since this material has not been correlated to the TEKS, Learning List could not review the material's alignment. To learn more about this product and thousands more PreK-12 instructional materials, contact Learning List for subscription information. About Pacific Learning* Pacific Learning  is the dedicated provider of PreK–8+ literacy solutions since 1999. Their supplemental resources are research-based and designed to increase instructional excellence and student achievement. They specialize in literacy resources in the following areas: comprehension, differentiated instruction, leveled reading, interactive technology, intervention, parent involvement, and more!  *Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Pacific Learning

Over the last year, many of our subscribing districts requested reviews of adaptive materials. The concept behind adaptive materials is admirable: different content is presented to each student based upon the student's performance on each task or assessment. In essence, these products offer the promise of an individualized instruction for each student. However, districts should not assume that "adaptive" means "aligned to standards." Many adaptive materials assign content based on skill mastery rather than mastery of the standards. Based on our experience, districts would be advised to carefully review the alignment of adaptive materials to the standards they are needed to support before using them. That said, reviewing the alignment of adaptive materials is challenging because the product presents different content to each user. We offer the following strategies to enable multiple educators to access and review the same content in an adaptive product: If the product allows teachers to assign specific content to students, the same feature should allow multiple reviewers to access the same content. The publisher may be able to provide unique content identifiers that, when entered into the product’s search feature, produce the same content for any reviewer to review. If neither of these options exists, ask the publisher for sample lessons/questions that they believe are aligned to each standard. Reviewing adaptive materials typically takes longer than reviewing materials without adaptive features. However, as teachers juggle the demands of in-person and remote instruction, as well as differentiation, they may rely on adaptive materials for instruction. Therefore, investing the time necessary to thoroughly review an adaptive material's alignment before selecting or using it is certainly advisable and could be critical to students' success.

Are your teachers looking for ways to support students as they prepare for STAAR Math? Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of Education Galaxy for math . Education Galaxy provides online test preparation for students in grades K-8. Learning List recently reviewed the content for grade 6 math. The intent of the program is to support student mastery of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and to provide practice for the State of Texas STAAR assessment. The program uses formative assessment to create personalized learning options based on the skills and concepts students need to learn. Education Galaxy e ngages students with game-styled skills practice of key concepts and skills. The program provides video-based explanations of key concepts and skills. Students may choose to work from Study Plans, which are common for all students, or from Recommended Topics , which are personalized for each student. Students receive immediate feedback on their performance. Teachers may control or customize many elements of the program, including assigning work to students and customizing assessments. Additionally, the program enables written and video-based communication from teacher to student. Read Learning List’s Editorial Review to learn more about how Education Galaxy supports specific student learning needs. Learning List has also completed a standard-by-standard analysis of the alignment of the material to the social studies TEKS, as well as a review of the product’s technology compatibility. To learn more about this product and thousands more PreK-12 instructional materials, contact Learning List for subscription information. About Education Galaxy* Education Galaxy provides engaging solutions to young and developing learners. “When students are engaged, their capacity for learning is improved.” Education Galaxy believes that their “program should be affordable so that schools can easily fit Education Galaxy into their budgets.” Education Galaxy is “passionate about education and passionate about providing highly effective and affordable tools to teachers.” *Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Education Galaxy .

Are your teachers requesting materials to help students prepare for the U.S. History End-of-Course Exam? Take a look at Learning List’s review of USATestprep U.S. History. USATestprep provides a supplemental program that includes online test preparation and digital instructional resources for Texas STAAR End of Course (EOC) exams, national exams, such as ACT or SAT, Advanced Placement Exams, as well as others. Learning List recently reviewed the content intended to support student learning specific to the U.S. History TEKS and preparation for the State of Texas U.S. History End of Course exam. The program includes both direct-teach and independent student practice materials. It supports test preparation through repeated practice of key concepts and skills by providing STAAR-styled questions, organized by student expectation. USATestprep provides teachers with multiple opportunities to customize materials for students and monitor student progress by assignment and over time. Students can work through the program at their own pace. The program can translate some, but not all of the student materials into Spanish. Read Learning List’s full editorial review to learn more about how USATestprep can be used to meet specific student learning needs. Learning List has also completed a standard-by-standard review of the alignment of the material, and a review of the product’s technology compatibility.  To learn more about this product and thousands more PreK-12 instructional materials, contact Learning List for subscription information. About USATestprep * USATestprep has been helping students with high-stakes tests since 1998. They offer a multitude of review products for subject area end-of-grade, end-of-course, graduation level, career readiness, and college entrance assessments. Their programs are tailored to both individual state and/or Common Core standards. Information in this section is provided by or adapted from USATestprep .

Early literacy development is critical to students’ success in the later grades and arguably, in life. Because students come to school with varying degrees of literacy, the quality of instruction and the quality of materials used in the classroom are primary determinants of the level of content and skill mastery young students achieve in literacy. What criteria do you look for when evaluating materials for early literacy? Like most educators, at Learning List we believe that the instructional quality of any material is based on its alignment to state standards and other quality indicators . Thus, our Alignment Report verifies publisher claims of alignment, and our Editorial Review assesses the instructional quality of the material. Here’s what we look for in each type of review. When reviewing the alignment of a material, we check the citations (e.g., lessons, activities, assessments) listed in the publisher’s correlation for alignment to the content, context and cognitive rigor of each foundational skills standard for the grade level. Verifying the alignment of multiple citations for each standard makes it easy to determine whether the material addresses each of the critical elements of the reading process (i.e., phonological awareness, decoding, vocabulary) and to see where the material’s gaps are. The rubric we use for our Editorial Review reflects the research behind the Science of Reading and best practices in early childhood education. For K-2 Literacy, our reviewers investigate a material’s coverage of specific elements of the reading process, including phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, as well as other components of early literacy, such as writing, listening, and speaking. In addition to features of high-quality materials generally (e.g., alignment, focus, rigor, vertical alignment, engagement), our early literacy rubric addresses components that are critical to early childhood, such as: the degree to which the materials provide developmentally appropriate experiences, the quality of texts included in the material, and the level of integration of the elements of early literacy to provide opportunities for students to make meaning and see relevance in their learning. In all, Learning List reviewers consider more than 75 criteria when reviewing the quality of an early literacy material and evaluating its potential effectiveness in meeting the learning needs of young students. Over the last few years, many of our subscribing districts have requested reviews of adaptive early literacy products. Adaptive materials are more difficult to review, because different content is presented to each user. Based on our experience, however, districts should not assume that “adaptive” means “aligned to standards”; adaptive materials should be reviewed just as closely as any other products. Because we do not want our reviews to reflect a single educator’s opinion about a material, we work with publishers of adaptive products to find a way for multiple reviewers to review the same content. Some products provide a way for teachers to override the material’s adaptive features and assign specific content. If that is not an option, the publisher may have unique content identifiers that, when entered into the product’s search feature, would produce the same content for any reviewer to review. Alternatively, some publishers provide sample lessons/questions aligned to each standard. We have shared criteria that Learning List looks for when reviewing foundational skills/early literacy materials. However, there are many ways to review materials, and different entities, including school districts, prioritize different criteria in their reviews. Besides the criteria you include in your rubric, thoroughness, objectivity, and consistency are the hallmarks of a high-quality review process and are essential for the comparability of completed reviews.

Is your district looking for a digital program to provide personalized social studies practice? Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of IXL Learning’s 6th Grade Social Studies. 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 social studies content for grade 6, which provides social studies practice problems and explanations. The program intends to offer a personalized learning experience to meet students’ individual learning needs. IXL Social Studies is flexible enough to be used in a variety of instructional settings, including blended and personalized learning. The implementation guides provide suggestions for using the program to support daily instruction in whole groups or personalized settings, as well as using the program to support core instruction. The program enables students to make choices about their own learning by selecting from among multiple assignments. Students are able to monitor their own progress through reports on the student dashboard. Likewise, the teacher dashboard allows teachers to monitor student progress in real-time and recommend specific content to students. Read Learning List’s Editorial Review to learn more about the unique characteristics of IXL’s social studies content. Learning List has also completed a standard-by-standard analysis of the alignment of the material to the streamlined social studies TEKS, as well as a review of the product’s technology compatibility. To learn more about this product and thousands more PreK-12 instructional materials, contact Learning List for subscription information. About IXL Learning* At IXL Learning, we are passionate about creating and supporting the best educational technology possible. We develop first-of-their-kind products used by millions of learners, from children to adults. People count on us to make learning as effective as it can be, and we are deeply committed to solving the real-world challenges faced by students and teachers around the planet. IXL Learning products are used in classrooms and homes in more than 190 countries around the world. We touch the lives of millions of educators and learners daily—from teachers providing personalized guidance to each student, to parents looking for high-quality educational games for their kids, to a university student tackling a foreign language, and more. IXL alone is used by over 400,000 teachers and over 8 million students (who have answered a whopping 60 billion questions to date!). *Information in this section is provided by or adapted from IXL Learning .