New Product: Istation Math

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Do your early childhood teachers need a program to supplement math instruction? Take a look at Learning List’s review of Istation Math.

Istation Math is a supplemental program for students in grades PK-5. Learning List recently reviewed the teacher directed lessons and the student digital app for grades PK-1.  The material is designed to support students in developing mathematical skills through instruction that is sequenced from concrete, to representational, to abstract.

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Spanish Language Arts and Reading (SLAR) Product Reviews

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Learning List has reviewed each of the five Spanish language arts and reading (SLAR) materials submitted to the Texas Education Agency in response to the Proclamation 2019. Below are brief discussions of each of the SLAR products. Learning List has reviewed each of the corresponding English language arts and reading (ELAR) products referenced in descriptions.

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New Product Review: Istation

Istation

Learning List recently reviewed Istation, which was submitted for state adoption in Texas in response to the Texas Education Agency’s Proclamation 2019 call for K-8 English language arts and reading (ELAR) and Spanish language arts (SLAR) products aligned to the new ELAR and SLAR Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Istation is a supplemental reading and writing program for grades PK-8. Content is available in English and Spanish. Instruction is presented digitally and includes printable resources. The adaptive program identifies and addresses gaps in student learning and supports intervention at each Response to Intervention (RtI) tier. Across grades, the program develops vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and word analysis skills.

Istation provides personalized, adaptive instruction in specific reading skills. Students complete the “Istation Indicator of Progress” (ISIP) at the beginning of the year and each month thereafter. Animated characters provide directions for ISIP tasks and examples of how to enter responses. ISIP is available in English and Spanish.  Based on ISIP results, the program prescribes specific learning activities and the usage time needed to address individual student learning gaps. As students move along individualized learning paths, instruction adapts, providing more or less challenging content based on student progress. [Read more…]

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Helping Kids Learn to Write

A recent New York Times article titled Why Kids Can’t Write explores the reasons behind U.S. students’ poor writing skills.  The article asserts that the root of writing problems lies with teachers, most of whom have not been trained in how to teach writing, and who are not confident writers themselves. The article goes on to cite specific efforts, such as the National Writing Project and The Writing Revolution, that are focused on training educators how to teach writing skills, as well as the research on effective writing instruction, which suggests a few concrete strategies. For example, students should learn to transcribe by hand and using a computer. Instruction should teach students to write strong sentences before introducing paragraphs. Students benefit when writing instruction integrates grammar, includes models of good writing, and provides frequent feedback about the students’ own writing.

At Learning List, we believe that high-quality, standards-aligned instructional materials, including writing materials, are critical to teachers’ effectiveness in the classroom. In our work this summer, we have reviewed several supplemental products that focus on teaching writing skills and preparing Texas students for the grade 4 STAAR Writing test. These products use different approaches, but each strives to improve students’ writing skills: [Read more…]

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New Review: Istation

Learning List recently reviewed Istation’s supplemental reading and writing resources for grades K-8. Content is presented digitally and includes printable resources. The adaptive instructional program identifies and addresses gaps in learning and supports intervention at each Response to Intervention (RtI) tier. The highly visual program engages students with humorous, animated content that frequently addresses topics in science. Instruction is presented by animated characters in an engaging, game-like format that includes direct instruction and guided and independent practice. …[read more]

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