Search Results

Are you considering buying new materials for Pre-K? Before you do, take a look at Learning List’s reviews of Savvas’ Three Cheers for Pre-K. Savvas Learning Company’s Three Cheers for Pre-K is a comprehensive program for Prekindergarten. The program provides skills-based learning experiences designed around purposeful play and children’s literature. Three Cheers for Pre-K is designed to support instruction in the ten domains of the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines, balancing social and emotional, physical, and academic development.  The play-based nature of the material consistently provides developmentally appropriate learning experiences, while its thematic design and essential questions encourage critical thinking and conceptual understanding. The assessments include options for progress monitoring, as well as observational checklists to support data-informed instructional decision making. The material is available in English and Spanish with mirrored design in Three Cheers for PreK  and Uno, dos, tres ¡Prekínder!. This ensures equivalent instruction in both English and Spanish. Read Learning List’s full editorial review to learn more about the student and teacher resources the materials provides. In addition to the editorial review, Learning List has completed a  review of the material’s technology compatibility.  To learn more about this product and thousands more PreK-12 instructional materials, contact Learning List for subscription information. About Savvas Learning Company* Savvas Learning Company (formerly Pearson K12 Learning), is a next-generation learning company. Their goal is to combine new ideas, new ways of thinking, and new ways of interacting to create innovative learning solutions. Savvas is “driven by a shared purpose to prepare students to thrive in our rapidly changing world. We do that by combining the power of advanced technology and dynamic curriculum to create next-generation learning solutions — delivered in the physical classroom or in remote settings — that offer engaging, personalized, and real-world learning experiences”   Information in the section is provided by or adapted from Savvas *.

Are your Prekindergarten teachers ready to adopt new materials during Texas Proclamation 2021? Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of QuaverEd’s Pre-K Curriculum. QuaverEd’s Pre-K Curriculum is a comprehensive program for Prekindergarten. It intends to support instruction in the ten domains of the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines.  The product is comprised of digital teacher materials and the “All-in-One Classroom Set,” which is a set of tangible materials.  The theme-based material focuses on the integration of academic, social, and emotional learning. It is designed based on a consistent instructional routine and a full-day prekindergarten schedule. The program provides  developmentally appropriate learning experiences and includes projects that help students make real-world connections to learning. Supports for teachers include detailed daily lesson plans with instructional narrative, as well as comprehensive instructional guides for specific topics, such as Developing Math Skills and Classroom Learning Centers .  Read Learning List’s full editorial review to learn more about the student resources the materials provides, including supports the material provides for English Learners and students with specific learning needs. In addition to the editorial review, Learning List has completed a  review of the material’s technology compatibility.  To learn more about this product and thousands more PreK-12 instructional materials, contact Learning List for subscription information. About QuaverEd* QuaverEd’s mission is to “equip educators to engage today’s students in academic, social, and emotional learning.” QuaverEd believes “music is the key to unlocking student emotion and inspiring a lifelong love of learning.” The publisher provides materials to schools in all 50 states and 31 countries. Information in the section is provided by or adapted from QuaverEd.

In a recent article titled, “ Four Ways State Leaders Can Help Teachers Implement High Quality Curriculum ,” the author discusses how state policymakers can support the reopening of schools for a successful school year. She encourages policymakers to “Provide clear and simple guidance to ensure all content is standards-aligned and offer examples of what that may look like for in-person and virtual settings.”  As districts searched for new online materials to support at-home learning, technology compatibility may have driven their purchasing decisions. Now that they are having to use the materials, alignment should be an important consideration. Here are three reasons why understanding the standards alignment of materials being used for at-home learning is critical to students’ academic success. (1) Teachers will likely rely on their materials more heavily than they may have in the past to ensure that remote learners keep pace with students who are attending class in-person. If the materials are not well aligned to all of the grade level standards, remote students will develop learning gaps. (2) Few materials are aligned to a 100% of the grade level standards, and even fewer products align to each standard everywhere the publisher claims them to. In order to ensure that students are learning all of the knowledge and skills each standard requires, teachers should be aware of where the material covers each standard completely (i.e., is aligned to the standard) and where the material has gaps. (3) Whether to fill a material’s alignment gaps or to help them differentiate instruction for particular students, teachers will likely want to incorporate activities and quizzes from multiple materials in their lessons. To ensure that they are helping students learn all grade level standards, teachers need to know which standards each material is aligned to and whether, in the aggregate, the materials they are using align to all grade level standards.  Students cannot learn what they are not taught. As referenced in the recent article cited above, educators need to ensure that their materials are aligned to their state’s standards and they need to know what standards-aligned materials look like. Learning List ’s alignment reports list citations (i.e., lessons, activities, assessments, and other resources) in each material that multiple certified educators have verified to be aligned to the content, context, and cognitive demand of each standard. These verified citations not only guide teachers to the parts of each material to use to help students learn the standards, they also provide exemplars for what standards aligned instruction looks like. Contact us to learn more.

This article discusses “ Four Ways State Leaders Can Help Teachers Implement High-Quality Curriculum .” One of the author’s suggestions is that leaders provide time and space for educators to plan . One of the reasons educators need more planning time is that online preK-12 materials have become increasingly complex to use. Here’s why. Planning time to learn the product's organization and how to navigate to various types of content Learning List reviewers have reviewed thousands of PreK-12 instructional materials. Our team is adept at learning how to navigate through online materials. These days, reviewing online materials is taking longer because materials often consist of different components to remediate, enrich and extend students’ learning.  Sometimes, each component uses a different online platform; more commonly, the assessments component uses a different platform from the material’s instructional components.  Thus, merely learning how to navigate through online materials takes longer than it used to. Moreover, identifying and accessing content contained in different product components is time-consuming. We often find that each product component has its own table of contents, but products often lack a central, overarching table of contents. Consequently, educators have to open each component to find and access content relevant to the topic, theme, or standards addressed in the lesson they are planning. The lack of a digital table of contents makes planning with an online material time-consuming.  Planning time to accommodate slow product load times One of the biggest challenges we face when reviewing materials is slow load times. The online components contain so much information that the content is slow to load, especially if the user does not have optimal internet connectivity or does not use the devices, browsers, and operating systems for which the product was optimized. Moreover, products’ interfaces often appear differently on each device, browser, and operating system, magnifying the challenges of navigating through online materials. Planning time to customize the product's content Finally, educators are attracted to materials that allow them to reorganize or customize content. This feature helps them add content that their students will find engaging, developmentally appropriate, and/or culturally relevant. While the ability to “customize” content is a selling point with teachers, customization takes forethought and planning time. Over the last several years, philanthropy, research, and policy have focused on helping educators become better-informed consumers of instructional materials. Helping teachers select high-quality materials is just step one; helping them use the materials effectively is just as important.  Providing ongoing planning time for teachers is essential if our goal is to ensure that students benefit from the high-quality materials their districts purchase.

Over the last several years, we have reviewed hundreds of science materials aligned to state standards, Advanced Placement frameworks, and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Over the last two years, we have observed a significant design shift in science products. Using the 5E model and Project Based Learning (PBL), publishers are designing science instruction to engage students in  doing  science, rather than learning about science. Where traditional instructional materials might present information and ask students to respond through short-answer or multiple-choice questions, newer materials provide teachers with resources to facilitate inquiry-based science instruction.  We first observed this shift in the instructional design of  NGSS -aligned materials. However, we recognized the same shift during our recent re-review of a material aligned to the streamlined Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for science. That material allows teachers to select from among three different instructional models, one of which is PBL.The PBL activities required students to engage in higher order thinking while demonstrating their learning. For example, students plan investigations, make inferences, construct models, solve problems, communicate their findings, and explain how their findings connect to the big ideas of science. Our review of the PBL content resulted in an increase in the material’s alignment percentages by approximately 30 percentage points in each grade level. The inclusion of PBL activities does not only have the potential to increase a product's alignment. We have also observed that PBL activities bundle standards based on big ideas of science, thus providing instruction on several standards simultaneously and creating opportunities for students to dig deeper into scientific concepts.   While we have seen publishers use PBL activities with increasing frequency in science materials, we anticipate that publishers will use the same strategy in designing materials to engage students in learning other subjects, as well.

Are you a first-time homeschool teacher or are you proctoring at-home learning while your child is attending school online this semester? Either way, you are likely out of your comfort zone and feeling (a little) overwhelmed. How are you ensuring that your child is learning what he/she is supposed to learn?  This blog post provides a few pointers and accompanying resources to help you keep your child on track during this school year.   Use Your State Standards   The state standards articulate what students are supposed to know and be able to do by the end of each grade level, Kindergarten through grade 12. States have standards for each of the four core subjects and other subjects, as well.  Some even have Pre-Kindergarten standards. These standards guide teachers’ instruction throughout the school year. States have standards for each of the four core subjects and other subjects, as well.  Some even have Pre-Kindergarten standards. These standards guide teachers’ instruction throughout the school year. (*See a few tips at the end of this blog.) Each state has its own name for its standards, and the standards for each grade level may differ from state-to-state. However, all states’ standards require students to have learned substantially the same knowledge and skills by the time they graduate from high school. You can access your state’s standards on your state department of education’s website. Because state standards often use “academic vocabulary” that is unfamiliar to non-educators, the state websites typically provide resources to help parents understand the standards.  Alternatively. Contact us . We are experienced educators who know and understand the standards well. We will do our best to answer your question(s) and/or guide you to additional resources to provide the assistance you need. Use Materials That Are Aligned to the Standards Students cannot learn what they are not taught. The materials your child is using should support you in teaching and/or your child in learning your state’s standards. This will only happen if the materials are “aligned” to those standards. A material is aligned to standards if it teaches the content knowledge and skills the standards require. Check to see whether the material your child is using is “correlated” to your state’s standards. If it is a print material, the material should include a “correlation” document that shows you on which page(s) each state standard is addressed.  Online materials that have been correlated to states’ standards typically include a “search by standard” feature that produces a list of online lessons/videos/activities that the publisher claims are aligned to any state standard you select. Continually Assess Progress and Adjust Instruction Accordingly As the teacher of one – or few students – you have the opportunity to maximize your/each child’s learning by continuously assessing their progress and adjusting the content and pace the instruction accordingly.  The process of continuously checking your child’s understanding of the information being taught is called formative assessment. Research shows that formative assessment increases students’ achievement and motivation. There are many forms of formative assessment. Most textbooks and online materials contain formative assessments to help you gauge your child’s learning and progress. This blog post contains ideas for other types of formative assessments you could use. Structure Time to Increase Your Child’s Engagement and Maximize Learning The mind can only absorb what the seat can endure. Students do not have to be sitting or even be at home in order to learn. Learning can take place in many places and in different ways.   Virtual field trips , online courses, and walks outside can provide opportunities for students to explore their environment, their passions, and the world. Good teachers facilitate learning by providing various pathways and opportunities for students to access information.  Here are seven principles and  six strategies to help you structure your child’s day and create an environment to maximize his/her learning. Gamify Learning One way to keep students motivated to learn is to turn learning into a game.  Gamification of learning is a relatively common practice that teachers use in their classrooms. Many online materials use games, as well. Some games simply provide enjoyment; others allow students to practice skills they have learned. Incorporating elements of games, such as earning badges, levelling up and ranking among classmates, in instruction may encourage even students who traditionally struggle. Ask Questions As students progress through learning, challenging them with more rigorous questions strengthens their critical thinking skills.  Often, even using the same material, but changing the level of questioning can increase learning and deepen your child’s understanding.  This table will help you ask your child increasingly rigorous questions about the concepts they are learning. In the table, “DOK” refers to Depth of Knowledge, which is another way of saying level of difficulty. In other words, a student will find the questions listed under DOK 1 easier to answer than the questions listed under DOK 4. We hope these tips and resources alleviate some of the fear and anxiety you are feeling.  Professional teachers use these same strategies to keep students on track and engaged in learning throughout the school year. Using the standards as your GPS and your materials as your vehicle will help you keep your child’s education moving in the right direction. To view the TEKS for each of the four core subjects, click on the button next to a grade level. When the document opens, scroll down to section “(b) Knowledge and Skills.” English Language Arts and Reading Mathematics Science Social Studies State department of education websites provide resources for parents. For example, these free documents on the Texas Education Agency’s website are grade level specific checklists to help parents ensure that their child is learning what state standards require.  Download the “ Student Learning Reports ” for your child’s grade level, and use the reports to set goals, check progress, and ensure your child is on track to master the grade level standards by the end of the school year.

As this school year resumes, teachers are going to need to differentiate and accelerate instruction to ensure that students are ready for their new grade level’s content. Whether you are selecting from your district/campus'  existing  materials or purchasing  new  materials, we offer the following questions to help you identify materials that will support teachers in differentiating instruction to meet the needs of their students. (1) Do the resources offer differentiated planning support for teachers? Teachers need resources that will help them differentiate instruction to meet their students’ varied learning needs while simultaneously implementing the district curriculum. Here are three features to look for in teacher materials to support teachers in planning differentiated instruction. Alternate activities to support scaffolding or extension of learning, such as texts identified by Lexile level, or alternate strategies based on specific learning need; Specific tools, such as tier-specific intervention resources and supports for English Learners based on their level of English proficiency; and, Progress monitoring tools to assist in identifying student readiness and monitoring progress toward learning goals. (2) Which adaptions for students are included with the materials? Adaptions assist students in accessing content and activities for learning. Here are five types of adaptions to look for in student editions to help ensure that all learners will have access to the information presented: Visual supports, such as the ability to increase page or font size or text-to-speech screen readers; Audio supports, such as closed captioning, full transcripts of videos, or use of relevant visual images;  Note-taking tools, such as highlighters, digital notebooks, and annotation symbols; English Learner supports, such as multilingual glossaries, translations in multiple languages, or instructional suggestions specific to level of English proficiency; and Reading supports such as visual cues, narrated text, and embedded definitions of key terms. (3) Are the materials aligned to the standards they are intended to support?  If teachers believe that their materials are not well aligned , they will forgo the district’s materials and look elsewhere for the resources they need. When selecting comprehensive materials, look for materials that are aligned to 100% of the grade level standards as possible. Keep in mind that publishers and educators often have different definitions of alignment. So, before purchasing a comprehensive material, consult Learning List's alignment report to verify the material's alignment.  Supplemental materials typically are not designed to align to 100% of grade level standards. The key to selecting supplemental materials is to make sure that the material is aligned to the standards you intend to use it to support. For example, to be an effective resource for teaching reading, a material does not have to be aligned to 100% of the English Language Arts standards, but it must be aligned to all of the reading comprehension standards.  Learning List ’s Spec Sheet, Editorial Reviews and Alignment Reports highlight the features in each material that will support teachers in differentiating and/or accelerating instruction.

Is your district looking for a resource to support students and teachers in grade 8 mathematics and Algebra I?  Take a look at Learning List’s review of Texas Instruments’ Math Nspired. Texas Instruments’ Math Nspired is a collection of supplemental online lessons and activities intended to teach mathematics content and provide professional learning support for teachers. Learning List has reviewed the content for grade 8 mathematics and Algebra I. The lessons are provided to teachers as part of their participation in professional learning services provided through Texas Instruments. The goal is to support teachers in implementing engaging strategies, thereby helping students achieve greater conceptual understanding of the content. Students access the material using the TI-Nspire™CX Student Software. The lessons address mathematics topics and skills that are “hard to teach” and “difficult to learn.” Each lesson typically requires students to reflect on learning, explain and justify their answers, and make connections to real-world mathematics scenarios. However, students with specific learning needs may require support beyond what the material offers. Along with lessons and activities for students, the material provides an abundance of content and pedagogical support for teachers. See Learning List’s full editorial review to learn more about how this material supports the learning needs of students and teachers. 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 Texas Instruments Education Technology * Texas Instruments has a 75-year history of innovation commitment to education. Their corporate commitment to STEM education started with the company's founders and remains stronger than ever today. They believe in investing in education in order to fuel the talent base needed to continue advancing engineering innovation across the world. For more than 30 years, TI has been an active member of classrooms around the world, empowering teachers and inspiring students to succeed in mathematics and science. Through calculators, coaching and classroom resources, TI Education Technology is transforming the way teachers teach and students learn STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects. *Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Texas Instruments Education Technology .

Do your elementary teachers need materials to help them integrate science and literacy instruction? Take a look at Learning List’s review of Learning A-Z’s Science A-Z. Learning A-Z’s Science A-Z is part of a suite of materials intended to support the development of 21 st century skills. It is a supplemental program that supports science instruction in grades K through 6. The focus of the program is integrating science and reading instruction through multilevel texts and hands-on learning experiences. Science and literacy instruction share focus throughout the materials, with big ideas about science providing the basis for instruction. The program includes a large number of leveled texts about science topics that are appropriate for use in a balanced literacy model. The material includes a substantial number of resources to support a blended learning environment, as well as inquiry-based science instruction. While the material is easier to use if students have ready access to technology, many of the materials can be printed in PDF format. The material is provided in English, with most essential components, such as student reading selections, also provided in Spanish. Read Learning List’s full editorial review to learn more about how Science A to Z can be used to meet the varied learning needs of students. 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 Learning A to Z* Learning A to Z is an education technology company that provides literacy-focused PreK-6 solutions for instruction and practice. Learning A to Z helps students develop 21 st century skills, provides high-quality instructional resources, and offers at-home tools to keep parents involved in learning. Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Learning A to Z .

Are you looking for a resource to support social studies instruction for grade 8? Take a look at Learning List’s review of Social Studies Success-U.S. History . Social Studies Success-U.S. History is a set of materials designed to support the grade 8 U.S. History course in Texas. The primary purpose of the material is to provide TEKS-based instruction that includes examination of primary sources and content-based readings, as well as integration of the process standards. The material is a collection of activities organized around key time periods from Colonization to Reconstruction, and includes a unit to support STAAR test preparation. Many of the activities incorporate content-literacy strategies, such as word walls and anchor charts. The resources are accessible via the teacher website. Most of the materials are PDF or PowerPoint documents. A student website is not provided. The material is available in English, with some documents available to support EL students. Read Learning List’s full editorial review to learn about the adaptions for special populations and overall accessibility of this material. Learning List has also completed a standard-by-standard review of the alignment of the material, which aids in lesson planning and curriculum writing, 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 Social Studies Success* Dawn Vinas created Social Studies Success LLC to support her vision of improving Social Studies instruction in multiple school districts. She provides professional development, consulting services and resources to thousands of teachers. Social media has intensified her efforts to share best practices by allowing her to share ideas and teaching strategies around the globe. She wants every child to understand the importance of Social Studies in their life – and every teacher to have the tools to reach them. Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Social Studies Success .

Are your teachers looking for a reading intervention program to serve students at varying skill levels? Take a look at Learning List’s review of Savvas’ (formerly Pearson) iLit ELL. Savvas’ iLit ELL is a fully digital, supplemental reading intervention program for students in grades 4-12. The program is designed to support EL students at all levels of an EL program (i.e., Newcomer, long-term). iLit ELL provides a consistent instructional routine, engaging content, and interactive tools to support multiple areas of literacy and language development. The program provides a digital library with a full range of Lexile levels, beginning at Lexile BR, that can be translated into more than 40 languages. The instructional routine consistently encourages collaborative work, opportunities for purposeful conversations, and vocabulary development to support overall language acquisition and literacy. iLit ELL includes extensive teacher supports for implementation, pedagogy, and content. These supports include real-time student progress monitoring and ongoing integration of SIOP strategies and other instructional suggestions, enabling teachers to meet the individual needs of students. Learning List has completed a standard-by-standard review of the alignment of the material, a qualitative review of the instructional content 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 Savvas* Savvas, formerly Pearson, is a next-generation learning company that combines new ideas, new ways of thinking, and new ways of interacting to create innovative learning solutions. Savvas draws upon  120+ years of experience and innovation  to provide learning solutions across all pre-K-12 disciplines around the globe. Per Bethlan Forsa, CEO of Savvas Learning, “At Savvas, we celebrate a rich legacy of learning that students and educators have come to know and trust. We’re honored and thrilled to usher in a new era of education, one that is more inclusive, more connected, and more meaningful to each student.”  Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Savvas .

Yesterday, my husband and I were discussing how to clean the exterior windows of our house. The house sits on the side of a hill, so many of the windows are too far off the ground to reach. I suggested standing on a ladder and cleaning them. But, given that we’re both short people, my husband thought that was a very bad idea.   So, I researched options online and discovered a spray solution that involves a plastic canister, garden hose and “specially formulated crystals” to wash exterior windows. I showed my husband the ad, and he immediately said, “Great, buy it.” The product cost between $10 and $31, depending on the seller.  However, I run a company that reviews PreK-12 instructional materials. I believe in and have avoided many expensive mistakes by reading product reviews. So, I started reading the online reviews. After five minutes, I realized that this product was not worth our time or money. I showed him the reviews, and he agreed. We saved $31.  This experience reminded me of why we started Learning List .  How many hundreds of thousands (even millions) of dollars has your district spent on materials that are gathering dust in closets or on warehouse shelves because they failed to live up to the product’s claims … of alignment, of rigor, or technology compatibility?  Make reading and comparing high quality, in-depth reviews an integral part of your purchasing process. If you read reviews for small purchases, doesn’t it make sense to read reviews when considering a multi-million dollar purchase with taxpayer funds?  Learning List’s reviews and comparison tools will save your district money – both by reducing the amount of time staff spend reviewing materials themselves and by avoiding expensive mistakes.  The $1 per student you invest in a Learning List subscription will yield far greater savings.