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Learning A-Z’s Writing A-Z is a supplemental product that addresses writing instruction in grades pre-K-6. Content is available online and includes printable resources. Instruction develops students understanding of the writing process and builds writing skills across a variety of genres, including narrative, informational/explanatory, persuasive, and transactional (e.g., letters) writing. Learning List recently reviewed resources for grades K-5. < Read=">Read" more... ="more..."> Writing A-Z’s “ Emergent Writing” program for students in pre-K and kindergarten is organized in six “Stages,” or units. In Stage 1, students write labels for common objects (i.e., nouns), link sounds and letters, and learn to write from left to right.  By Stage 6, students are writing sentences that incorporate conjunctions and simple phrases. At grades 1-5, students are characterized as “Beginning” (grade 1), “Early Developing” (grade 2), “Developing” (grade 3), and “Fluent” (grades 4-5) writers.  Although lessons are differentiated for each developmental level, instruction across grades focuses on Process Writing, Skill Building, and Grammar/Word Work. Writing A-Z contains a set of interactive writing tools to support instruction. The tools include “Process Writing Workshop,” “Write Your Way,” and “Build a Book.” The Process Writing Workshop guides students in the writing process across the Process Writing genres. The Write Your Way tool encourages short daily writing. The Build a Book tool enables students to create their own illustrated online books. About Learning A-Z* Learning A-Z is a literacy-focused PreK-6 educational provider of technology-enabled learning resources. Our products blend traditional teacher-led instruction with robust online resources to make teaching more effective and efficient, practice more accessible and personalized, assessment more strategic and automated, and learning more informed and proactive. Our suite of products includes: Raz-Plus, Reading A-Z, Raz-Kids, Headsprout, Science A-Z, Writing A-Z, Vocabulary A-Z, and ReadyTest A-Z. Learning A-Z's resources are used by more than 5 million students in more than 175 countries. *Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Learning A-Z . Subscribe to  Learning List  for access to the spec sheet, full editorial review and alignment reports for these materials and thousands of other widely used PreK-12 resources.

USATestprep is a supplemental online test preparation product that helps students prepare for a variety of standardized tests, including STAAR, Advanced Placement, and SAT/ACT exams. Content is available online and includes printable materials. USATestprep provides a variety of assessment resources and short instructional activities linked to standards.  Learning List reviewed resources designed to help students master the Algebra I Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and prepare for STAAR testing. < Read=">Read" more... ="more..."> For Algebra I, USATestprep provides assessment resources to support benchmarking, the identification of learning gaps, and preparation for the STAAR end-of-course exam. In addition, the program includes a variety of short, online instructional activities to support review of the TEKS. Online learning activities include “Standards-based Modules,” performance tasks and warm-ups, an “Item of the Day” feature, as well as games to be used with classroom projection devices. Each resource is linked to a specific standard and may be customized to meet teachers’ needs. USATestprep ’s “Benchmark” tab allows teachers to create Basic and/or Custom benchmark assessments. Basic benchmarks are system-created summative tests that prepare students for the Algebra I STAAR end-of-course exam. Custom benchmarks allow teachers to select questions that address specific standards. For both Basic and Custom benchmarks, teachers are able to preview tests and set item point values. Online tools allow teachers to select a variety of assessment features, including whether tests provide students with explanations of results upon completion, include Spanish translations, order questions randomly, and/or have three rather than four answer choices. About USATestprep* USATestprep, Inc. is recognized as a leader in curriculum resources and test prep for high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools. We have been helping students with high-stakes tests since 1998, and we offer a multitude of review products for subject area end-of-grade, end-of-course, graduation level, career readiness, and college entrance assessments. Our programs are tailored to both individual state and/or Common Core standards. *Information in this section is provided by or adapted from USATestprep . Subscribe to  Learning List  for access to the spec sheet, full editorial review and alignment reports for these materials and thousands of other widely used PreK-12 resources.

Edmentum’s Study Island is a supplemental online product that helps students in grades K-12 master the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and prepare for STAAR exams. Content is available for mathematics, English language arts/reading, science, and social studies. Resources support teacher-guided instruction and independent study. Teachers may create their own lessons and assessments using online tools. Learning List recently reviewed math materials for grade 3. < Read=">Read" more... ="more..."> Study Island begins math instruction at each grade level with a pretest and a diagnostic test that assess students’ readiness for content. Instruction is presented in short lessons for each topic followed by a set of “Sessions” with practice activities. Lesson texts include definitions of new terms, example problems with step-by-step solutions, and illustrations to support understanding. Many lessons have interactive flashcards for new vocabulary and terms; flashcards may also be printed. Some lessons include animated and video-based content. Study Island has comprehensive monitoring resources that allow teachers to track student and class progress in multiple, easy-to-use and -understand formats. Reports track student usage and performance data, and enable comparisons between classes and state averages of other Study Island users. Teachers may monitor student performance by topic and standard, and track performance trends, such as student time spent using resources. About Edmentum* Edmentum is a standards-based online learning program grounded in a tradition of solid research, sound pedagogy, and applied innovation. Edmentum develops rigorous, relevant curriculum that challenges your students with a 21st century approach - engaging them with interactive, media-rich content. Whether your students are falling behind, at grade level, or advanced, accommodate their unique needs in an environment in which they will thrive. Courseware can be used in a lab setting, a blended model in which online courses supplement the traditional classroom, or through a completely virtual experience. *Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Edmentum. Subscribe to  Learning List  for access to the spec sheet, full editorial review and alignment reports for these materials and thousands of other widely used PreK-12 resources.

Learning List has reviewed OpenStax’s Biology for AP Courses. This c­­­­­­­omprehensive, open education resource (OER) resource supports Advanced Placement (AP) Biology instruction at the high school level. Resources are available online and may be downloaded as an interactive PDF. Instruction covers the content for an introductory college-level biology course with an emphasis on ensuring resources address the College Board’s course framework for AP Biology. < Read=">Read" more... ="more..."> Biology for AP Courses begins with a Preface that describes the course and its features. Instruction is organized in units that begin with a “Chemistry of Life” introduction to biology followed by units covering cells, genetics, evolution, biological diversity, plant structure and function, animal structure and function, and ecology. Each chapter opens with an outline of content and a brief introduction. Chapters are broken into sections that begin with the key questions explored in the discussion (e.g., “What are metabolic pathways?”) and a “Connection for AP Courses” feature that connects the section’s content to the relevant Big Ideas, Enduring Understandings, and Essential Knowledge included in the College Board’s framework for AP Biology. About OpenStax* OpenStax is a nonprofit based at Rice University, and it’s our mission to improve student access to education. Our first openly licensed college textbook was published in 2012, and our library since scaled to more than 20 books for college and AP courses used by hundreds of thousands of students. Our adaptive learning technology, designed to improve learning outcomes through personalized educational paths, is being piloted in college courses across the country. Information in this section is provided by or adapted from OpenStax . Subscribe to  Learning List  for access to the spec sheet, full editorial review and alignment reports for these materials and thousands of other widely used PreK-12 resources.

Learning List has reviewed National Geographic Learning/Cengage Learning’s Chemistry & Chemical Reactivity, AP Edition, Tenth Edition. This comprehensive product supports instruction in Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry courses. Content is available in print and eBook formats with additional online resources. The course provides an overview of chemical principles and processes, and the real-world applications of these principles and processes in industry, medicine, and the environment. < Read=">Read" more... ="more..."> Chemistry & Chemical Reactivity organizes core content in five parts: (1) The Basic Tools of Chemistry, (2) Atoms and Molecules, (3) States of Matter, (4) The Control of Chemical Reactions, and (5) The Chemistry of the Elements. Part 1 begins with a short chapter titled “Let’s Review: The Tools of Quantitative Chemistry” reviews of some of the key mathematical concepts needed for the study of chemistry (e.g., units of measurement, graphs and graphing, problem-solving strategies). Each chapter begins with an outline of chapter sections, and chapter sections begin with statements of the learning goal(s). The text’s artwork helps students understand the relationships between the macroscopic, symbolic, and particulate levels of chemistry. Example problems include step-by-step guidance in identifying solution strategies, implementing strategies, and arriving at solutions. A “Think About Your Answer” feature encourages consideration of each solution’s reasonableness. Embedded checks for understanding are included with each example problem About National Geographic Learning/Cengage Learning* At National Geographic Learning, part of Cengage Learning, we believe education is one of the great transformative forces of this century. Among our goals is to help learners and teachers to achieve personal success and be better citizens of the 21st century. We want English language teachers and their students to experience the excitement and joy of learning, and to bring their classroom to life. Our mission is to inspire students to learn and acquire the skills they need to be successful in their careers or educational experiences, as well as to become lifelong caretakers of the planet. *Information in this section is provided by or adapted from National Geographic Learning/Cengage Learning . Subscribe to  Learning List  for access to the spec sheet, full editorial review and alignment reports for these materials and thousands of other widely used PreK-12 resources.

A supplemental resource is designed to complement and support comprehensive materials. Publishers design supplemental resources for different purposes, including to: help students learn the content and practice the skills contained in all of the standards for a particular grade and subject; offer some of the same resources as comprehensive materials to support students in learning a specific subset of standards (e.g., writing standards, Personal Financial Literacy, etc...); target specific standards with which students typically struggle; build skills addressed across grade level standards; or support specific student learning needs, such as the needs of English language learners, students with disabilities, or advanced learners. Supplemental materials vary in the percentage of standards they  intend to address. Some intend to align to all grade-level standards, but most do not.  A supplemental resource that is aligned to only 50% of the grade-level standards may be the best material to select if it is aligned to the standards you need it to teach.  Similarly, a resource that intends to build vocabulary may do so effectively even though it is aligned to fewer than 10% of the grade level standards because it does not teach the other content and skills the standards require. Thus, such a product may be a great addition to your district's instructional arsenal despite its low alignment percentage. < Read=">Read" more... ="more..."> Bottom line : It is critically important to look beyond the alignment percentages of supplemental materials in order to use them effectively. Learning List's editorial review explains the intended purpose of each material, and our alignment comparison tool and alignment reports identify the standards to which each material is aligned. Supplemental materials typically have fewer components than comprehensive materials and vary significantly in their offerings. For example, some supplemental products include assessment resources and monitoring tools; others do not. The rigor of supplemental materials also varies based on the material's intended purpose. Supplemental materials intended for remediation, review, or to support students’ independent study may strive to pose fewer challenges in the content they present and in their reading levels in order to ensure materials are accessible to students with limited teacher support. In contrast, supplemental materials designed to extend and enhance students’ understanding may present deeper discussions of topics and more complex activities that require students to apply their learning in new and innovative ways. Such materials are generally intended for classroom use with teacher guidance and support. Because supplemental materials are intended for different purposes, it is difficult to state what to expect from a supplemental resource. As stated above, not all supplemental materials are intended to help students master the standards; some are skill builders, some target specific content, and others address particular students' needs. If a supplemental resource is standards-focused, however, it will only be effective if it is aligned to the standards you are using it to teach. Like comprehensive materials, supplemental products differ significantly in price, with no observable relationship between the price and percentage of standards addressed. Thus, comparison shopping is essential to ensure you get the product you need at the best value for your district/campus.

Education Galaxy is a supplemental, online test preparation program for students in grades K-5. The program supports practice and review for STAAR math, science, reading, and writing tests. Learning List recently reviewed resources for grade 3 reading. The program provides individualized instruction to address learning gaps in students’ mastery of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). < Read=">Read" more... ="more..."> Education Galaxy provides a diagnostic test that identifies individual student strengths and weaknesses in mastering the TEKS and provides a recommended “My Study Plan.” The diagnostic test for reading assesses students’ reading skills, including knowledge of text features (e.g., chapter titles), dictionary usage, and spelling. The program recognizes when students are guessing and cautions them to slow down. Study Plans are tailored to individual student needs and present assignments in the form of short formative assessments that address a single standard or a set of related standards. “Composition Practice” resources allow teachers to select writing prompts and evaluation rubrics for student compositions. Students submit their drafts online for teacher feedback. Students receive feedback, make revisions, and resubmit the draft online. Resources allow teachers to adjust instruction to one grade below and one grade level above a student’s current grade to support struggling learners and students who need more challenging work. Teachers may use Education Galaxy’s test bank to create custom assignments and assessments that may be administered online or printed for paper and pencil administration. About Education Galaxy* Education Galaxy provides engaging solutions to young and developing learners. When students are engaged, their capacity for learning is improved. We also very firmly believe that our program should be affordable so that schools can easily fit Education Galaxy into their budgets. Quite simply, 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 . Subscribe to  Learning List  for access to the spec sheet, full editorial review and alignment reports for these materials and thousands of other widely used PreK-12 resources.

A  comprehensive  material is designed to support students in learning  all  of the knowledge and skills for a grade and subject. Thus, a  comprehensive  resource should be highly aligned to the standards for the grade level and subject. It should provide both direct instruction and practice opportunities to support students in achieving the depth of knowledge and understanding the standards expect by the end of the grade level. Comprehensive materials  differ in their level of rigor, coherence, adaptions provided for special student populations and instructional resources included for students and teachers. For example, more robust  comprehensive materials  contain resources to support direct instruction, guided and independent practice, formative and summative assessment, re-teaching and progress monitoring. Teacher’s guides may include resources for planning differentiation and intervention. < Read=">Read" more... ="more..."> Many  comprehensive materials  include assessments to help educators evaluate their students’ learning, gauge their progress, and design remediation and/or extension activities as needed. Increasingly, we are seeing technology-based products that provide prescriptive feedback that enables teachers to identify learning gaps, group students for re-teaching, and suggest extension activities for students who have mastered content. A robust set of assessments in a  comprehensive  material may obviate the need for additional test prep  materials . Comprehensive materials  are the backbone of most teachers' instructional program.  In order to support instruction successfully, districts should look for  materials  that are aligned to a high percentage of state standards, are sufficiently rigorous to prepare students for the state assessments, provide adaptions for as many special students populations as possible, provide rigorous assessments meaningfully placed during the instructional process, and optimally, contain monitoring tools that provide data to help teachers gauge student progress. Comprehensive materials  differ significantly in both features and price, with no discernable relationship between the price of a material and the percentage of standards to which it is aligned. Thus, districts can save hundreds of thousands of dollars by comparison shopping for  comprehensive materials . Learning List's product information comparison tool makes that process easy. Included in the product comparison information is the  price  of each material selected. Thus, Learning List allows district staff to obtain and document three price quotes  instantaneously  to support each instructional material purchase as required by EDGAR, the federal purchasing regulations. Contact us  to learn more about how to use Learning List for comparison shopping.

Trivedi AP Chemistry in a Flash  supports instruction in Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry courses. Content is software based and is contained on a flash drive (i.e., USB drive); a textbook is not provided. A variety of resources, including interactive slide shows, PowerPoints, and PDF notes, support independent student study. < Read=">Read" more... ="more..."> Trivedi AP Chemistry is organized in chapters that present content in (1) interactive slide shows, (2) PowerPoint presentations, and (3) related PDF notes. Chapters are broken into numbered sections. Section numbers allow users to identify the corresponding content across the set of instructional resources. Slide shows provide direct instruction and opportunities for guided and independent practice. Students have access a PowerPoint presentation of each chapter’s content. PDF notes are organized by chapter section and clarify definitions of new vocabulary and provide concise explanations of concepts with illustrations that support understanding. Chapters end with a set of multiple choice and/or open-ended practice problems. Problem sets are adaptive and provide more challenging problems when students answer correctly and simpler problems for students who are struggling with concepts. Some chapters include quizzes, practice tests, and standardized test practice questions. About Trivedi AP Chemistry* Trivedi Chemistry is on a mission to bring 21st century technology to education. In 2006 the company released its pioneering general chemistry course on DVD-ROM. Today, Trivedi Chemistry the following courses on a flash drive platform and direct download: AP Chemistry General Chemistry (full year of college) General/Organic and Biochemistry (for health sciences) High School Chemistry. Trivedi Chemistry was founded by Dr. Ketan M. Trivedi, chemistry professor and visionary in educational software.  Trivedi Chemistry designs chemistry courses to engage students and empower teachers, using interactive technology for the digital age. *Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Trivedi Chemistry. Subscribe to  Learning List  for access to the spec sheet, full editorial review and alignment reports for these materials and thousands of other widely used PreK-12 resources.

Learning List recently reviewed t he Goodheart-Willcox Company’s Foundations of Financial Literacy, 10 th 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 of Financial Literacy is a vailable in print and eBook format s and include additional online components . Instruction focuses on developing competent consumers by introducing students to concepts in personal finance. Foundations of Financial Literacy presents content in six units titled: (1) Financial Literacy, (2) Protecting Your Finances, (3) Managing Your Spending, (4) Purchasing and Protecting Your Assets, (5) Exploring Economics, and (6) Preparing for Your Career. Units open with a short explanation of “Why It Matters” and a list of chapter titles. < Read=">Read" more... ="more..."> Content is structured using the 5E instructional model (i.e., engage, explore, explain, elaborate/extend, evaluate). Each chapter begins with a “Big Idea” (e.g., “Smart financial decisions and risk management can lead to financial security”), a short overview of content, and a “Focus on Finance” feature that explains some element of personal finance (e.g., mortgage calculators). Additional resources are available at no charge on the course’s companion website http://www.g-wlearning.com/finance/ About Goodheart Willcox* In 1921, William Goodheart and Charles D. Willcox, along with a few others, came together to start a company to publish Dyke's Automobile and Gasoline Engine Encyclopedia that had been previously self-published by the author, Mr. A. L. Dyke. Little did they know this small publishing company would grow up to become The Goodheart-Willcox Company, Inc., a leader in career and technical education (CTE). Today's Goodheart-Willcox (G-W) publishes both print and digital textbooks while also producing online courses and other instructional resources that provide a complete classroom solution. With subject-appropriate titles for middle school, high school, higher education, and professional training, G-W is recognized as a go-to source for career and technical education content. *Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Goodheart-Willcox .

Learning List has reviewed Reasoning Mind’s STAAR Readiness , which is a supplemental online product that supports students in grades 3-8 in preparing for each grade’s STAAR mathematics exam. The program focuses on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) that are assessed at each grade level. Online tools allow teachers to create customized assignments to address individual student learning needs. < Read=">Read" more... ="more..."> STAAR Readiness contains a variety of instructional, TEKS-aligned resources, including “STAAR Practice Tests,” “Modules” that provide remediation and review, and “Practice Problems” formatted to reflect the STAAR test. Each resource includes tools and supports that allow students to work independently and to monitor their own progress. Reasoning Mind recommends that teachers use an initial Practice Test in order to benchmark students’ mastery of specific standards and readiness for STAAR testing. Teacher dashboards contain color-coded class rosters that enable them to quickly identify students who have mastered specific TEKS and those in need of intervention and support. Online tools enable teachers to individualize assignments by selecting certain students or groups of students to practice specific standards. About Reasoning Mind* Reasoning Mind is an education nonprofit with a mission to provide a first-rate math education for every child. The organization designs interactive, online blended learning programs for mathematics that develop students’ higher-order thinking skills, ignite their interest in math, and prepare them for advanced courses like algebra—the “gatekeeper” to college. In addition, Reasoning Mi nd offers ongoing professional development, training, and in-person support for teachers and administrators using its programs. With Reasoning Mind , students are engaged, teachers are empowered, and technology is leveraged to provide a world-class mathematics education. *Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Reasoning Mind . Subscribe to  Learning List  for access to the spec sheet, full editorial review and alignment reports for these materials and thousands of other widely used PreK-12 resources.

Learning List has reviewed W. W. Norton’s Give Me Liberty! An American History, 5 th Edition. This comprehensive product supports instruction in Advanced Placement (AP) United States History courses. Content is available in print, eBook, and digital (i.e., USB, CD-ROM) formats. Authored by historian Eric Foner, the text presents a traditional approach to U.S. history, including political and economic developments and international relations. The course’s extensive ancillary materials help shape content to meet the College Board’s thematic design for instruction. < Read=">Read" more... ="more..."> Each chapter opens with an image related to the period, a set of “Focus Questions” (e.g., “How did the New Deal recast the meaning of American freedom?”), a short introduction, and a timeline of important events. Some eBook chapter sections and subsections include an embedded video in which the text’s author discusses some element of the narrative in an interview format (e.g., “Landmarks for the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s”).  An icon in the margin cues readers to the presence of the video. All course videos are closed captioned and include transcripts. Teacher resources include a “Course Planning and Pacing Guide” that provides detailed information about organizing content for each historical period identified in the College Board’s course framework for AP U.S. History. Additional teaching resources available from the publisher include PowerPoint slides with lecture notes for each chapter, slides of art and images from the text, and an “Instructor’s Manual” with chapter summaries and outlines. About W.W. Norton* Now, in its 90th year and with an annual list of 400 titles, W. W. Norton is a global company, its familiar seagull logo appearing on books in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and Latin America. Though the Norton of today is international in scope, there is much about the company that would remain recognizable to its founders: the editorial quality of the books, the rigorously anti-corporate style, and above all the shared sense of purpose that flourishes when all employees have a stake in the success of their firm. *Information in this section is provided by or adapted from W.W. Norton . Subscribe to  Learning List  for access to the spec sheet, full editorial review and alignment reports for these materials and thousands of other widely used PreK-12 resources.