K-2nd Grade - Gateway 2

The Arts & Letters materials meet expectations for indicator 2a. Materials include core and anchor texts that are well-crafted, content-rich, and engaging for students through a variety of literary and informational texts connected to coherent module topics and essential questions. Students encounter award-winning literature, poetry, biographies, historical narratives, literary nonfiction, visual art, and informational texts that build knowledge across disciplines while exposing students to rich language, meaningful themes, and authentic perspectives. The text selections support exploration of topics such as culture, history, science, innovation, identity, social justice, and community, while balancing literary and informational reading experiences across genres and formats. The materials also support students’ independent reading development through the program’s Volume of Reading component, which provides curated text sets, structured reflection questions aligned with the Content Stages and Essential Questions, reading logs, and teacher guidance to build reading stamina, knowledge, vocabulary, and engagement beyond core instruction.

• Materials include core/anchor texts that are well-crafted, content-rich, and engaging for students at their grade level. 

  • The materials include a wide range of core and anchor texts that are well-crafted, content-rich, and engaging for students at their grade levels. Across the modules, students encounter award-winning literary and informational texts, classic folktales, biographies, poetry, historical narratives, and literary nonfiction that build both knowledge and engagement. Many texts feature rich language, compelling illustrations, and meaningful themes connected to students’ experiences and the world around them. Texts provide students with opportunities to explore topics such as culture, history, science, innovation, social justice, and community through authentic and diverse perspectives. Informational texts deepen content knowledge in areas such as transportation, communication, weather, animals, geography, and the human body, while literary texts and folktales engage students through strong storytelling, vivid illustrations, and emotionally resonant themes. The collection also includes many award-winning texts, demonstrating attention to literary quality and student engagement. Overall, the anchor texts reflect a strong balance of complexity, relevance, representation, and disciplinary knowledge appropriate for elementary learners.

Note: As part of this review, the publisher submitted documentation detailing text characteristics, including genre and subgenre classifications and counts of full texts, excerpts, long-form texts, and short-form texts. The information below is presented as contextual evidence only and is not factored into the overall score or rating.

• Materials reflect the balance of informational and literary texts required by the grade-level standards (50/50 in K-5), including various subgenres. (This criterion is evidence only and not considered in scoring). Materials include a range of full texts and excerpts (including long-form and short-form texts), depending on their stated purpose. (This criterion is evidence only and not considered in scoring)

  • The texts in Arts & Letters span various genres and include mostly full texts, with some excerpts of longer texts selected for purpose and grade-level appropriateness. The program includes a mix of short- and long-form texts. Overall, the materials generally reflect a balance between informational and literary texts.

    • Grade K contains 12 informational and 11 literary texts, which align with the 50/50 split indicated in the standards: 52% informational, 48% literary. Informational texts encompass a range of genres, including literary nonfiction, historical texts, biographies, and scientific texts. Literary texts encompass a range of genres, including realistic fiction, poems, fantasy, folktales, allegory, and magical realism. All of the texts are short-form full texts.

    • Grade 1 contains 10 informational and 12 literary texts, which generally align with the 50/50 split indicated in the standards: 45% informational, 55% literary. Informational texts encompass a range of genres, including literary nonfiction, historical texts, biographies, social studies texts, and scientific texts. Literary texts encompass a range of genres, including realistic fiction, poetry, fables, folktales, allegory, graphic stories, and magical realism. All of the texts are short-form full texts.

    • Grade 2 contains 12 informational and eight literary texts, which align somewhat with the 50/50 split indicated in the standards: 60% informational, 40% literary. Informational texts encompass a range of genres, including literary nonfiction, historical texts, autobiographies, and scientific texts. Literary texts encompass a range of genres, including realistic fiction, poems, fantasy, historical fiction, graphic novels/stories, and folktales. Thirteen of the texts are long-form, and seven are short-form, and all of them are full texts.

• Materials include sufficient teacher guidance (including monitoring and feedback) and (starting in grade 1) student accountability structures for independent reading (e.g., independent reading procedures, proposed schedule, tracking system for independent reading).  (This criterion is evidence only and not considered in scoring)

  • In the Implementation Guide, the “Volume of Reading” section explains that Arts & Letters intentionally builds students’ reading stamina, knowledge, vocabulary, and independence through daily opportunities to engage with additional texts beyond core instruction. The program provides module-specific curated text lists containing 5–12 topic-related books across varied genres, complexity levels, and formats to support both knowledge-building and student choice. Students are encouraged to read widely through independent reading, small-group book clubs, paired fluency practice, and outside reading opportunities, with recommendations to teachers to dedicate 20–30 additional minutes daily for Volume of Reading activities. The materials also include structured supports such as Content Stage–based volume of reading questions and reading logs (in Grades 3-8) that help students reflect on, track, and respond to their reading. The guidance emphasizes organizing classroom libraries around topics and interests to promote access to knowledge-building texts and encourages students to transfer the comprehension habits and literacy practices developed during core instruction to their independent reading experiences.

  • On the digital platform, teachers can access general guidance about Volume of Reading as well as module-specific texts and questions to ask students. Under each Module, Module Resources, Reading, teachers can access the Volume of Reading titles, summaries, and questions. There are Volume of Reading questions for each Content Stage, the module Essential Question, and questions to bring in students’ personal knowledge. In each lesson’s overview, the materials include a Follow-Up reminder that states, “Students listen to, read, or explore a volume of reading text. They respond to a volume of reading question. See Implementation Resources for volume of reading guidance.” 

    • In Grade 2, Module 2, the Volume of Reading questions are:

      • “Wonder: What do you notice and wonder about this text?

      • Organize: What is happening in this text?

      • Reveal: What does a deeper look at the author’s purpose reveal?

      • Distill: What is a central idea in this text?

      • Know: How does this text build our knowledge about the American West? How does this text build our knowledge about changes in the American West?

      • Essential Question: How has life in the American West changed over time?

      • Your Knowledge: How has your community changed over time?”

The text complexity analysis in the Arts & Letters materials meets expectations for indicator 2b. Materials provide text complexity analyses and rationales for the educational purpose and placement of core and anchor texts through dedicated Text Analysis documents available on the digital platform. For each text, the materials include a description, information on qualitative and quantitative complexity, reader and task considerations, and explanations of how the text supports module knowledge-building and instructional goals. The rationales connect text placement to the development of content knowledge, vocabulary, themes, and connections across texts and visual art, helping teachers understand how texts build coherently throughout a module. Across the program, text selections generally reflect appropriate levels of qualitative and quantitative complexity in relation to grade-level expectations and associated student tasks, with many texts intentionally scaffolded through instructional supports such as read-alouds, teacher modeling, discussion routines, and Content Stages. The materials also provide regular opportunities for students to engage with complex texts through teacher read-alouds and supported discussion, allowing students to access sophisticated language, concepts, and ideas that may exceed their independent reading levels while maintaining engagement with grade-level content.

• Accurate text complexity analysis and a rationale for educational purpose and placement in the grade level accompany core/Anchor texts and a series of texts connected to them.

  • On the digital platform, under Implementation Resources, Implementing for Teachers, teachers can access a Text Analysis document for the grade band. For each text, this document includes a brief description, the qualitative and quantitative complexity ratings, reader and task considerations, and a rationale for placement.

    • In Grade 1, Module 1, the program includes the picture book, The White Cat and the Monk: A Retelling of the Poem “Pangur Bán” by Jo Ellen Bogart. The K-2 Text Analysis document provides a brief description of the book, along with notes on the qualitative complexity based on meaning/purpose, structure, language, and knowledge demands. The materials note that this text has a Lexile of AD660L. This document also provides reader and task considerations for the text and a rationale for placement in the curriculum: “As the third text in this module, The White Cat and the Monk builds readers’ understanding that people have read books to learn for a long time, emphasizing the module topic of why books are important. This text invites students to see books as vehicles for building knowledge and provides an opportunity to define the word knowledge at the start of the year. The text also shows students that learning from books is not always easy; the pursuit of knowledge takes time and study. The subject matter of this text connects with one of the works of art that students examine in the module, Saint Jerome in His Study, which shows Saint Jerome deeply focused on a text. This picture book is paired with the informational article ‘The Story of Books’ to deepen student knowledge of the history of books.”

• According to quantitative and qualitative analysis and their relationship to the associated student task, core/anchor texts have the appropriate level of complexity for the grade.

  • Anchor texts generally have the appropriate level of complexity based on their text complexity analysis and the associated reader and task.

    • Grade K

      • Appendix A of the Common Core State Standards does not indicate text complexity ranges in Grade K.

      • Qualitatively, three texts are slightly complex, 16 texts are moderately complex, and four texts are very complex.

    • Grade 1

      • Appendix A of the Common Core State Standards does not indicate text complexity ranges in Grade 1.

      • Qualitatively, five texts are slightly complex, 15 are moderately complex, and two are very complex.

    • Grade 2

      • Quantitatively, the majority of texts in Grade 2 fall within the grade band Lexile range of 420L-820L, with one text falling below the Lexile range and two falling above.

      • Qualitatively, two texts are slightly complex, 14 are moderately complex, and four are very complex. 

    • Note: For this review and norming to other reviews, the publisher submitted qualitative information on levels of meaning/purpose, text structure, language conventionality and clarity, and knowledge demands for each text.

• Materials provide opportunities for students to listen to texts read-aloud that are more complex than what they can read independently.

  • In Grades K-2, students engage in read-alouds of texts that are more complex than what they could read independently, scaffolded by the teacher through supports built into the program, such as notes in the Teach books, Content Stages, and teacher notes. For example, in Grade K, Module 1, Arc D, Lesson 20, students listen to Hey, Hey, Hay! by Christy Mihaly and Joe Cepeda a second time, and the teacher directs students to engage in a Think-Pair-Share discussion about the question, “What happens at the beginning of this story?” The materials provide a Teacher Note and a reminder to reinforce the correct response: “The girl and her mom get ready to mow. Instruct students to draw and label the beginning event on their story maps. Add the beginning event to the class story map.”

The Arts & Letters program meets the expectations for indicator 2d by organizing text sets around cohesive, grade-appropriate themes that build knowledge over time. Materials include text sets that are organized around grade-appropriate, tightly connected topics and essential questions that support sustained knowledge-building across modules. Each module centers on a coherent topic connected to literature, history/social studies, science, and the arts, with texts, visual art, videos, discussions, and writing tasks intentionally selected to deepen understanding of that topic over time. The materials include literary, informational, and multimedia sources that present multiple perspectives and facets of a topic while exposing students to academic vocabulary, content knowledge, and increasingly complex language and ideas. Knowledge Threads and lesson-level learning goals help connect ideas across texts and tasks, while opportunities for discussion, writing, and synthesis support students in making explicit connections among the concepts they study throughout the module.

• Text sets are organized around a grade-appropriate, tightly-connected topic or theme. 

  • Each module in Arts & Letters is organized around a topic related to the humanities, history/social studies, science, or an integration of those disciplines. Each module has an overarching essential question and Knowledge Threads, which articulate what knowledge students develop over the course of the unit and are woven into each lesson. All of the texts students read and listen to are organized around these topics, as are the module writing tasks. According to the Implementation Guide, “Arts & Letters topics build students’ knowledge of key ideas in history/social studies, science, literature, and the arts. These topics support students in future learning and across academic disciplines. Topics vary within and build students’ knowledge vertically across grade levels.”

    • In Grade 1, the module topic is Wind Power, and the Essential Question is “How is the wind powerful?” The module summary in the Teach book explains that this module explores the power of wind through literary and informational texts, art, discussion, and writing centered on the Essential Question, “How is the wind powerful?” Students examine how wind affects people, nature, and communities, including how individuals have harnessed wind as a renewable energy source to solve real-world problems. Throughout the module, students build knowledge of weather and renewable energy while developing opinion-writing, speaking, and presentation skills. Throughout the unit, students read literary and literary nonfiction texts, as well as informational texts, about the topic, in addition to watching videos and observing art related to the topic. The Knowledge Threads indicate the knowledge about wind that students should gain over the course of the unit:

      • “Wind is air that moves as warmer air rises and colder air sinks. 

      • A person cannot see wind, but they can observe its effects. 

      • Wind can be useful to people, but it can also cause difficulties for them.  

      • People can use wind to make electricity.”

    The daily learning tasks and writing that students complete focus on these Learning Goals:

    • “Build knowledge of the wind through literary and informational texts. 

    • Retell key details of texts about the wind and how people use it for energy. 

    • Identify the reasons authors give to support points about renewable energy. 

    • Compare how two or more informational texts present knowledge about the wind. 

    • Write opinion paragraphs on topics connected to the wind. 

    • Orally present opinions with the support of visual displays. 

    • Strengthen writing by editing for correct spelling and punctuation and revising for adjectives that add detail. 

    • Participate in class discussions about the wind, supporting what you say with evidence from the text and respectfully agreeing and disagreeing.”

• Text set organization provides opportunities for students to address facets of the same topic or theme over an extended period (e.g., a unit, module), enabling the development of deeper knowledge. Text sets cohesively build knowledge across various topics in social studies (including history), science, the arts, and literature, exposing students to academic vocabulary, content knowledge, and complex syntax.

  • Arts & Letters’ text sets are designed to provide opportunities for students to examine various facets of the module’s topic/theme and essential question to build knowledge. These topics/themes build vertically from Grade K through Grade 5 and cover science, social studies, and humanities topics and themes.

    • In Grade K, Module 3, the module topic is America, Then and Now, and the Essential Question is “How has innovation changed life in America over time?” This module explores how innovation has changed life in America over time through literary and informational texts, art, discussion, and writing centered on transportation, communication, invention, and community change. Students examine how new ideas and technologies shape people’s lives by studying inventors, historical developments, and artistic representations of change over time. Throughout the module, students build knowledge and research skills while learning to write informative paragraphs using evidence from texts and investigations. Students read a variety of literary, literary nonfiction, and informational texts, including The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton, Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane by Kirsten W. Larson and Tracy Subisak, and Now and Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin by Gene Barretta. Students read articles to provide additional perspectives on the topic, including “History of Planes” (no author given) and “How a City Grows” by Thor Wickstrom. Students also view the art pieces, Struggle Series—No. 10: Washington Crossing the Delaware by Jacob Lawrence and Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze, which allow them to learn about the topic through an artist’s perspective. The materials also include related Geodes decodable readers. The materials provide a variety of videos for students to watch to build knowledge of the topic across the module. The Teach books indicate the knowledge students should develop through analyzing the topic through various texts and tasks, called Knowledge Threads:

      • “Curiosity, necessity, and creativity lead to innovations and inventions. 

      • Communities change over time. 

      • Transportation changes over time.

      • Communication changes over time.”

      Students use the texts they study throughout the module to write informative paragraphs about how innovation has changed American life over time. The Land portion of each lesson is designed to help students make explicit the knowledge they have built throughout the lesson. For example, in Arc A, Lesson 3, students synthesize their learning over the last few lessons through a discussion of the questions, “What did you learn about how cities have changed over time?” and “How does your new knowledge show how innovation has changed life in America over time?” The teacher connects their responses back to the module Knowledge Threads. 

    • In Grade 2, Module 2, the topic is The American West, and the Essential Question is “How has life in the American West changed over time?” This module explores how life in the American West changed over time through texts and artwork that examine Native American life, westward expansion, buffalo populations, and environmental change. Students analyze multiple perspectives from Native and non-Native authors and artists while building knowledge about the relationships among people, animals, and the land. Writing instruction focuses on composing informative paragraphs using evidence from texts to explain how the West and its communities changed over time. Students read a variety of literary, literary nonfiction, and informational texts, including Powwow Day by Traci Sorell and Madelyn Goodnight, The Buffalo Are Back by Jean Craighead George and Wendell Minor, and Where the Buffalo Roam: Bison in America by Kate Waters.  Students read articles to provide additional perspectives on the topic, including “Celebrating Powwows” by Shawn Termin and an excerpt from “What About the Native Americans?” by Mikal Eckstrom. Students also view art pieces, such as Buffalo Bull, Grazing on the Prairie, by George Catlin, and Buffalo Hunter by Julian Martinez, which allow them to learn about the topic through an artist’s perspective. The materials also include related Geodes decodable readers. The materials provide a variety of videos for students to watch to build knowledge of the topic across the module. The Teach books indicate the knowledge students should develop through analyzing the topic through various texts and tasks, called Knowledge Threads:

      • “Before settlers arrived in the American West, Native American tribes who lived there depended on the land and animals to survive. 

      • Many Native American communities continue traditions to preserve their culture. 

      • Settlers moved west to make a new life.

      • Preservation efforts have partially restored the grasslands and buffalo of the Great Plains.”

      Students use the texts they study throughout the module to write informative paragraphs about how the American West has changed over time. The Land portion of each lesson is designed to help students make explicit the knowledge they have built throughout the lesson. For example, in Arc B, Lesson 12, students synthesize their learning from the last few lessons by discussing the question, “How does your new knowledge help you understand how life in the American West changed over time?” The teacher connects their responses back to the module Knowledge Threads.

The instructional pathway outlined in the Arts & Letters’ materials meets expectations for indicator 2f. Materials clearly outline the essential elements of the core instructional pathway and explain how to implement that pathway through detailed guidance in the Implementation Guide and teacher-facing materials. The guide explains the structure and purpose of the program’s Content Stages—Wonder, Organize, Reveal, Distill, and Know—and describes how instructional routines, vocabulary development, collaborative discussion, writing, inquiry, and repeated engagement with complex texts work together to support knowledge-building and literacy development. Additional sections, including “Research-Based Approach” and “Research in Action,” explain how the curriculum is grounded in research-based literacy practices and the science of reading through explicit instruction, oral language development, close reading, scaffolded support, gradual release, and integrated reading and writing instruction. The materials also provide annotated sample lessons, overviews of curriculum components, lesson-level timing guidance, module plans, and pacing resources that support implementation of the core pathway. Supplemental materials, including Prologue lessons which are designed to work coherently with core instruction. 

• Materials clearly outline the essential elements for the core instructional pathway. Materials clearly explain how to use and implement the core instructional pathway, which does not deviate from currently accepted research. 

  • The Implementation Guide outlines the essential elements of the Arts & Letters core instructional pathway through the program’s Content Stages: Wonder, Organize, Reveal, Distill, and Know. These stages provide a consistent structure for how students engage with texts and build knowledge over time, beginning with curiosity and initial comprehension and progressing toward deeper analysis, synthesis, discussion, and application of ideas. The guide explains the purpose of each stage and how instructional routines, discussion protocols, vocabulary work, writing tasks, and text analysis are embedded within the progression to support students’ understanding of increasingly complex texts and concepts. The materials also provide explicit guidance for teachers on implementing these stages within lessons and modules through modeling prompts, collaborative routines, oral rehearsal, scaffolded questioning, repeated interaction with texts, and opportunities for synthesis and reflection. The instructional pathway reflects research-based literacy practices referenced throughout the guide, including knowledge-building, explicit instruction, close reading, oral language development, scaffolded support, and gradual release.

  • The “Research-Based Approach” and “Research in Action” sections of the Implementation Guide explain that Arts & Letters is grounded in research-based literacy practices and the science of reading, with instruction designed to build both knowledge and literacy skills through sustained engagement with complex, content-rich texts. These sections describe how the curriculum integrates evidence-based approaches, including explicit vocabulary instruction, repeated and purposeful interactions with texts, oral language development, collaborative discussion, inquiry, close reading, writing grounded in textual evidence, and scaffolded support for comprehension and language development. The guide explains that students build knowledge coherently across modules through connected text sets, discussion, writing, and research tasks. At the same time, instructional routines support gradual release, productive struggle, and cumulative skill development. The sections also emphasize the importance of integrating reading, writing, speaking, and listening; revisiting texts for multiple purposes; and using structured instructional routines and discussion protocols to deepen understanding and strengthen students’ ability to analyze, synthesize, and communicate ideas. The “Research in Action” section is organized in a table that indicates “What the Research Says” and “What Arts & Letters Does” to address that research within the program.

  • The “Welcome to Arts & Letters” section of the Implementation guide includes a table of Core Curriculum Components that lists each component in the program, along with the component's audience, format, purpose, and description, allowing teachers to see all components they will encounter at a glance.

  • The Implementation Guide also walks teachers through the components of a lesson, using an annotated sample lesson to explain each part.

• When present, supplemental materials are designed to work coherently with the core instructional pathway. Materials provide detailed explanations of when and how to use supplemental materials so that all students can access grade-level materials.

  • Arts & Letters includes various supplemental resources designed to work coherently with the core instructional pathways. These supplemental resources include Prologue, Responsive Teaching, and Bookend lessons. 

    • Prologue lessons are companion lessons that occur immediately before core Arts & Letters lessons and are designed to strengthen students’ readiness to engage with upcoming module content, texts, vocabulary, and language demands. The lessons provide targeted support through background knowledge building, oral language development, vocabulary instruction, examination of language structures and syntax, and opportunities for oral rehearsal and supported writing. Prologue lessons are intended especially for multilingual learners and students who need additional language or literacy support, but they can be used flexibly with whole classes, small groups, or individual students based on demonstrated needs. The Implementation Guide indicates that Prologue lessons can be used to:

      • “examine text language and syntax, 

      • orally process ideas, 

      • build essential background knowledge, 

      • deepen vocabulary base, and 

      • practice using academic language.”

      The Prologue lessons follow a similar structure to the Teach book lessons, and the materials provide explanations of each lesson component. The Implementation Guide provides broad guidance for determining which students might benefit from these lessons, as they are designed to be “flexible resources that educators can use to best suit their school context and students’ needs. Teachers can teach Prologue lessons to all their students. Alternatively, teachers, support teachers, or special education teachers may teach Prologue to selected small groups.” The guidance provides teachers with questions to reflect on to help determine which students could benefit from these lessons:

      • “Which students need additional support with this learning goal? 

      • Which students would benefit from making additional work with the module speaking and listening goal, language goal, or End-of-Module Task expectations?”

• Materials provide implementation schedules, including lesson-specific guidance, that are well-paced, and can reasonably be completed in the school year, allowing students to dive deeply into content. 

  • On the digital platform, under Implementation Resources, Implementing for Leaders, teachers and school administrators can access a document called “Planning Year of Arts & Letters.” This document guides school leaders and teachers on effectively scheduling and implementing the Arts & Letters curriculum throughout the school year. The document explains how schools can create balanced yearly, weekly, and daily pacing plans that maintain instructional consistency while allowing flexibility for real-world scheduling needs, intervention, collaboration, and student support. It outlines recommendations for structuring literacy blocks, including time for core Arts & Letters lessons, foundational reading instruction, fluency practice, volume of reading, Geodes, and Prologue lessons. It provides sample schedules for different grade bands. The document also explains how schools can use flexible pacing calendars, collaborative planning time, Bookend lessons, and benchmark checkpoints to support coherent implementation, teacher preparation, assessment reflection, and professional learning. Additional sections describe how Prologue lessons can be scheduled to support multilingual learners and students needing additional literacy support, while emphasizing collaboration among classroom teachers and specialists. Overall, the document positions thoughtful scheduling, pacing, and collaboration as essential supports for successful curriculum implementation and sustained literacy instruction throughout the year.

  • The “Planning a Year of Arts & Letters” document also details how to pace lessons across the year, including questions to guide teachers and administrators in making pacing decisions, like 

    • “How many and which days do we have available for instruction in the school year?

    • What are the fixed elements of our annual school calendar? Are there flexible days within

    • the calendar?

    • What school or district events must we account for?

    • How do we achieve instructional goals given the design of the school calendar?”

    This document lists how many days of instruction are included for each grade level:

    • Grade K: 157 days + Year in Review lesson

    • Grade 1: 158 days + Year in Review lesson

    • Grade 2: 153 days + Year in Review lesson

    For schools following a typical 180-day calendar, the materials note that the remaining 20-30 days can be used for things like:

    • “Establishing routines and procedures during the first week of school

    • Engaging in Bookend lesson experiences that take longer than 60 minutes

    • Extending module learning through volume of reading (VOR) or special projects

    • Reteaching or responding to identified student learning needs

    • Standardized testing

    • Schoolwide events”

  • While Arts & Letters lessons are each 60 minutes, the materials note that “leaders may want to consider scheduling a 90-minute block to account for some of the above elements. In levels K–2 classrooms, educators may need a two-hour literacy block to account for regular foundational reading instruction and Prologue, VOR, Geodes, and/or other focused instruction or support in literacy. In levels 5–8 classrooms, additional time can be used for students to finish Follow-Up activities, including module text reading, so that students can complete needed reading in school rather than depending on time for homework.”

  • In the Teach books at the start of each module, the materials provide a Module Plan that gives teachers a bird’s-eye view of the module, the Content Stage, text for each lesson, when to administer assessments, and whether there is an associated Prologue lesson. Within the daily lessons, the materials provide timing guidance for each component of the lesson and follow a standard sequence:

    • “The Overview provides key information to orient teachers to the lesson. 

    • Launch (2-5 minutes) previews the lesson’s framing question, text(s), and task(s). 

    • Learn (50-53 minutes) typically includes three sections:

      • Read: Students read the Lesson text(s). 

      • Respond: Students respond to the text(s).

      • Write, Observe, or Engage: 

        • Write: Students write. 

      • Observe: Students examine a work of art. 

      • Engage: Students engage in building vocabulary. 

    • Land (5 minutes) involves students reflecting on learning.”

The questions, tasks, and assignments in Arts & Letters’ materials meet expectations for indicator 2g. Materials provide opportunities for students to make meaning of texts through text-based questions and tasks in a variety of formats, including speaking, writing, and drawing. During the Read and Respond portions of lessons, students engage in a structured progression of activities aligned to the Content Stages—Wonder, Organize, Reveal, Distill, and Know—which guide them from initial reading and questioning to organizing ideas, analyzing key text features, determining overall meaning, and reflecting on knowledge gained. Within this progression, students respond to teacher-directed questions during reading that prompt attention to key details, main topics, text structure, and illustrations. Materials also include opportunities for students to read, reread, and listen to texts multiple times for different purposes, such as identifying key details, retelling events, and analyzing language use. Across lessons, these questions and tasks require students to engage directly with the text and demonstrate understanding through varied response formats.

• Materials provide opportunities to support students in making meaning of the texts being studied through text-based questions and tasks in varying formats (i.e. speaking, drawing, writing).

  • Throughout the Read and Respond portions of each lesson, students have opportunities to make meaning of the texts they are studying through various types of text-based questions and tasks. The Arts & Letters Implementation Guide states, “students develop their ability to comprehend, analyze, and build knowledge from texts through the Content Stages, a flexible yet predictable process for deep reading of grade-level complex texts. Lessons are structured with a purposeful progression that enables students to access, understand, and analyze these texts. This progression consists of five Content Stages: Wonder, Organize, Reveal, Distill, and Know.” The Implementation Guide further explains each stage:

    • “Students begin with a wide lens at the Wonder stage—reading the text for the first time with curiosity and attention and asking key questions about what they read.

    • They then begin to put their thoughts in order at Organize. At this stage they organize their thinking as to what the text is about, developing their literal comprehension.

    • Reveal takes students further into the text as they focus on challenging, distinctive, or important text components such as word choice, figurative language, or text structure.

    • At Distill, students return to the bigger picture to think about the text’s overall meaning. They engage in discussion to discern texts’ central ideas or themes.

    • The Know stage focuses students’ attention on the module topic. Students reflect on and describe how a text has built their knowledge, or students expand their knowledge by connecting the text to other texts and topics of study.

  • In Grade 1, Module 2, Arc D, Lesson 19, students listen to “Kinds of Feathers” by Melissa Stewart and Sarah S. Brannen, focusing on using key details to determine the main topic of a text. As the teacher reads aloud, the materials provide stopping points and questions for teachers to ask students, like, “What key details did you hear from these pages?,” What is the main topic of these pages?,” “What color do you think a penguin’s contour feathers are? Why do you think that?,” “What did you learn about flight feathers?” The teacher wraps up this portion of the lesson by asking the question, “How do pages 30-31 of the text build your knowledge about feathers?”

  • In Grade 2, Module 4, Arc A, Lesson 3, students read A Different Pond by Bao Phi and Thi Bui, focusing on key ideas and how the illustrations can reveal more about the characters and setting. The materials provide stopping point questions teachers can ask to guide students’ meaning making, such as, “What do you notice about the beginning and ending of the story?,” “What do you notice about the illustrations?,” and “What do you learn about the characters from the illustrations that you don’t learn from reading the text?”

• Materials include text-based questions and tasks that require students to read, re-read, and/or listen to complex parts of texts to deepen their analysis and understanding.

  • The Arts & Letters materials provide students with opportunities throughout each instructional arc to reread texts for different purposes and engage in various tasks to deepen their analysis and understanding. 

    • In Grade K, Module 3, Arc C, Lesson 14, students listen closely to a reading of Wood, Wire, Wings by Kirsten W. Larson and Tracy Subisak, focusing on what they notice and wonder about the text. In Lesson 15, students do a second close listen of the text, focusing on identifying events and key details, before engaging in a retelling activity. In Lesson 16, the teacher rereads parts of the text a third time as students analyze verb use.

The text analysis opportunities in Arts & Letters meet expectations for indicator 2h. Materials provide opportunities for students to engage with print concepts, analyze texts, and build understanding through structured reading instruction and text-based tasks. The materials include opportunities for students to interact with print concepts and text, such as identifying elements of a book and using text features like covers, tables of contents, and captions to support comprehension. Reading instruction is organized through a consistent progression of Content Stages—Wonder, Organize, Reveal, Distill, and Know—which guide students in analyzing key ideas and details, examining craft and structure, and integrating knowledge across texts. Within these stages, students engage in activities such as identifying important details, comparing multiple texts on a shared topic, analyzing language and figurative expressions, and discussing how information from different sources contributes to a broader understanding. These structured opportunities support students in making meaning from texts and developing knowledge through repeated, purposeful engagement with content.

• Materials provide opportunities to support students’ acquisition of print concepts, including directionality, function (K-1), and structures and features of text (1-2).

  • While Arts & Letters does not include a foundational skills component and indicates that skills such as print concepts should be more thoroughly addressed in a supplemental program, the materials do provide students with opportunities to learn about print concepts.

    • In Grade K, Module 2, Arc A, Lesson 3, students listen to Hare and the Tortoise by Alison Murray, focusing on identifying the main characters and setting. Before reading, the materials guide teachers to “Direct attention to the front cover, and read aloud the title. Tell students that Alison Murray is both the author and illustrator. Ask this question: What did she do to make this book?”

    • In Grade 1, Module 4, Arc B, Lesson 8, students learn about using the text features in an atlas as they read Beginner’s World Atlas by National Geographic Kids. The teacher guides students to look at the front and back covers, use the table of contents, and read the captions. Students then browse and annotate the text about what they notice and wonder. The materials provide a discussion question for teachers to ask: “What types of questions could help you better understand this text?” and provide sample key ideas that teachers might hear from students:

      • “questions about the images or illustrations

      • questions about text features

      • questions about unfamiliar words”

• Materials provide opportunities for students to analyze key ideas and details (according to grade-level standards) within individual texts and across multiple texts to support students in making meaning.

  • The reading instruction in Arts & Letters is organized into Content Stages: Wonder, Organize, Reveal, Distill, and Know. Students examine different aspects of the text at each stage. Students have many opportunities to analyze key ideas and details within and across texts in the Wonder, Organize, and Distill Content Stages. According to the Implementation Guide,

    • “Students begin with a wide lens at the Wonder stage—reading the text for the first time with curiosity and attention and asking key questions about what they read. 

    • They then begin to put their thoughts in order at Organize. At this stage they organize their thinking as to what the text is about, developing their literal comprehension.

    • At Distill, students return to the bigger picture to think about the text’s overall meaning. They engage in discussion to discern texts’ central ideas or themes.”

  • In Grade 2, Module 3, Arc B, Lesson 9, students listen closely to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, focusing on the Content Framing Question, “What is happening in this text?” and identifying key details. Before listening, the teacher guides students to compare this text with a previously read text, Martin Luther King Jr. and the March on Washington by Frances E. Ruffin and Stephen Marchesi. The materials guide teachers to ask, “How are these two texts related?” As the teacher reads the text aloud, the materials provide stopping point questions to support students in making meaning through identifying key ideas and details: “Distribute at least one sticky note of one color to each student. Read aloud pages 6–15, starting with ‘I have a.’ Instruct students to write on a sticky note at least one detail about Dr. King’s dream that they heard on these pages.” The materials provide sample responses that teachers might look for, like 

    • “brotherhood and sitting down together 

    • people judged by character, not skin 

    • Black kids and White kids playing together”

• Materials provide opportunities for students to analyze craft and structure (according to grade-level standards) within individual texts and across multiple texts to support students in making meaning.

  • The reading instruction in Arts & Letters is organized into Content Stages: Wonder, Organize, Reveal, Distill, and Know. Students examine different aspects of the text at each stage. Students have many opportunities to analyze craft and structure within and across texts in the Reveal Content Stage. According to the Implementation Guide, “Reveal takes students further into the text as they focus on challenging, distinctive, or important text components such as word choice, figurative language, or text structure.”

  • In Grade K, Module 4, Arc B, Lesson 10, students learn about the figurative language in My First Day by Phùng Nguyên Quang and Huỳnh Kim Liên. The materials direct teachers to “Emphasize that in this story An is traveling to school. Explain that the author/illustrators use words and phrases to give clues about where An is going. Tell students that they can use the illustrations to better understand what some of the words mean.” The materials also provide various questions related to the text’s figurative language to help students make meaning through understanding craft and structure, such as, “What does An mean by saying that he writes his name ‘across the blackboard of the river’?” Students then engage in a Think-Pair-Share discussion about the question, “How is the sky a ‘crayon box full of colors’?” Sample key ideas from the discussion include, 

    • “The clouds are pink, orange, and yellow. 

    • The sun is coming out after the storm, making the sky different shades of blue, purple, and pink. 

    • The birds in the sky are black and white.”

• Materials provide opportunities for students to analyze the integration of knowledge and ideas (according to grade-level standards) within individual texts and across multiple texts to support students in deepening their understanding on a topic.

  • The reading instruction in Arts & Letters is organized into Content Stages: Wonder, Organize, Reveal, Distill, and Know. Students examine different aspects of the text at each stage. Students have many opportunities to analyze the integration of knowledge and ideas within and across texts, particularly in the Know Content Stage. According to the Implementation Guide, “The Know stage focuses students’ attention on the module topic. Students reflect on and describe how a text has built their knowledge, or students expand their knowledge by connecting the text to other texts and topics of study.

    • In Grade 1, Module 1, Arc A, Lesson 6, students continue building knowledge about the module topic, A World of Books, and the Essential Question, “Why are books important?” Students make connections between a previously read text, “Story” by Eloise Greenfield, and the lesson’s text, “Just What Is a Poem, Anyway?” by Sherry Bowen. The materials provide guidance to teachers that says, “Reinforce the correct response: ‘Story’ is a poem. Tell students that they will now read a different type of text: an article. Explain that the article will help students build additional knowledge about poems and the importance of reading. Explain that, by listening to an article, students are collecting more information, or evidence, about poems. As they collect textual evidence to build knowledge, students are doing research. Tell them that research means ‘getting information about a topic from more than one source.’” The materials later direct teachers to “Tell students that they will share their knowledge as a complete thought. Sharing knowledge as a complete thought helps the listener understand the speaker’s idea. Think aloud to show the importance of sharing knowledge as a complete thought.” Students then engage in a discussion about the question, “How does collecting information from more than one text help you build knowledge about a topic?” Sample student responses may focus around these key ideas:

      • “helps you learn more things about the topic

      • helps you understand different facts about the topic

      • helps you learn new facts”

The speaking and listening protocols and teacher guidance in Arts & Letters’ materials meet expectations for indicator 2i. Materials include structured protocols that support students in participating in a range of discussions and building understanding through collaboration grounded in text and prior knowledge. Instruction incorporates consistent routines such as partner, small-group, and whole-group discussions, including Think–Pair–Share and other structured formats, which guide students in sharing ideas and responding to peers. Lessons intentionally prepare students for discussions by having them collect and organize textual evidence, often through annotation, note-taking, or written and drawn responses, before engaging in conversation. During discussions, students use sentence frames and other supports to articulate their thinking and cite evidence, while teachers introduce and model specific speaking and listening goals, such as supporting ideas with evidence and building on others’ contributions. The materials also include formal discussion structures, such as Socratic seminars, in which students synthesize knowledge across texts and engage in extended, text-based dialogue. Throughout these activities, teacher guidance supports facilitation, monitoring, and feedback, including prompts, differentiation strategies, and tools such as the Speaking and Listening Goal Tracker to observe and support students’ progress over time.

• Materials include structured protocols that support students in participating in various types of discussions, using both background knowledge and their interpretation of the text to build upon each other’s understanding.

  • The Arts & Letters materials include structured protocols that support students in participating in a range of discussion types and building understanding through shared conversation. The Implementation Guide describes the use of consistent instructional routines, such as Think–Pair–Share and other partner or small-group discussions, which provide clear structures for students to engage with both their background knowledge and their interpretations of texts. Students regularly participate in text-centered discussions during lessons, as well as more formal academic conversations in Distill lessons and Socratic seminars, where they prepare by gathering evidence and contributing ideas grounded in the text. Guidance for facilitating academic conversations emphasizes student-to-student interaction, encouraging students to respond to and build on one another’s ideas to deepen collective understanding. Additional supports, such as sentence frames provided through the Talking Tool, help students share ideas, ask questions, and support their thinking with evidence during discussions.

  • The materials include an explicit focus on speaking and listening during the Distill lesson and generally follow this structure:

    • “Read | Prepare for a Discussion. Students prepare by collecting evidence. (In K–2, teachers usually introduce the speaking and listening goal in this first lesson section.)

    • Respond | Discuss Themes [or Central Ideas]. The teacher introduces the speaking and listening goal. Teachers then foster skill development through the following:

      • Modeling or having students model the skill

      • Explaining how the skill works

      • Having students discuss what they know about the skill”

    • In Grade K, Module 3, Arc C, Lesson 17, students prepare for a discussion about the question, “How does Lillian turn her dreams into an invention?” The teacher guides students through preparing to discuss the question and collecting evidence from the text through read-alouds of portions of the text and stopping-point questions. The materials direct teachers to 

      • “Distribute the text to small groups and two sticky notes to each student. Tell students to write their name on a sticky note and place it on a section of the text that explains how Lilian turns her dreams into creating a successful flying machine.

      • Direct students to their journals. To help students prepare for the discussion, instruct them to write and draw their examples in their journals. Invite students to refer to their annotations in the text as they write and draw their responses.”

    • In the next part of the lesson, the teacher introduces the speaking and listening goal: “Support what you say with evidence from a text.” The materials provide sentence frames to help students share their ideas and an opportunity to rehearse their thinking with a partner before engaging in a small-group discussion. As students discuss in small groups, the teacher guides them to describe the page where they found their evidence, and that “showing where they found textual evidence to support their idea will help others better understand the point they are making.” The materials direct teachers to use the Module 3 Speaking and Listening Goal Tracker to track students’ progress toward the goal and include ways teachers can support students.

  • In the final arc of each module, students participate in a Socratic seminar. The Implementation Guide details how teachers should prepare, what they should do during the seminar, and how to encourage students to reflect afterward. 

    • In Grade 2, Module 1, Module Finale, Lesson 36, students engage in a Socratic seminar about the Essential Question, “How does seasonal change affect nature and people?” The materials direct teachers to “Introduce students to the term Socratic seminar. Explain that, similar to discussions during Distill lessons, a Socratic seminar is a discussion based on texts. During the seminar, everyone shares what they think about an important question. However, during the Socratic seminar, the important question is the Essential Question for the module. Students will prepare for the Socratic seminar by choosing an example from a text that shows how seasonal change affects nature and people.” To prepare for the seminar, the teacher guides students in reflecting on the speaking and listening goals from the module, collecting evidence from each text studied, and rehearsing their thinking in small groups. The materials then direct the teacher to “Reinforce that in a Socratic seminar students share their ideas about a topic and learn from one another. Tell students that synthesizing, or combining, their ideas and textual evidence to prepare for sharing ideas with others is a part of research. Remind students of the three speaking and listening goals they have practiced during the module: Speak loudly enough for others to hear you, share about a topic or experience in a detailed way, and speak by using complete sentences.” To support the teacher in facilitating the seminar, the materials provide Differentiation Support, a Teacher Note, a way to analyze student progress quickly, and a list of key ideas students should gain from the discussion.

• Speaking and listening instruction includes facilitation, monitoring, and feedback guidance for teachers.

  • In the Implementation Guide, the materials include if…then statements to help teachers guide students during speaking and listening activities. Topics include student reluctance to participate in small- or whole-group discussions, some students dominating the conversation, students not speaking directly to each other, support for using relevant vocabulary in discussions, support for using evidence in discussions, MLL support, and minimizing distractions. 

  • The Teach book provides teachers with point of use guidance on how to monitor discussions and provide feedback to students as needed. 

    • In Grade K, Module 2, Module Finale, Lesson 36, students participate in a Socratic Seminar about the module Essential Question, “What happens on a farm?” The materials provide teachers with three Differentiation Support questions:

      • “What work happens on a farm? 

      • What plants grow on a farm? 

      • What animals live on a farm?”

      The materials also include an Analyze Student Progress callout box, which states:

      • “Monitor: Do students share text-based examples of what happens on a farm? 

      • Offer Immediate Support: If students need additional support identifying what happens on farms, direct attention to one of the module texts and ask what happened on that farm (e.g., the farmers in Hey, Hey, Hay! baled hay). 

      • Plan Future Practice: Students practice participating in a Socratic seminar in module 3.”

      Additionally, the materials list Key Ideas for teachers to reinforce for students during and after the discussion. 

• Each module includes a Speaking and Listening Goal Tracker that outlines goals, evidence statements to assess student progress toward those goals, and guidance for students who need additional support. These trackers include a place where teachers can record information for each goal multiple times throughout the module.

  • In Grade 1, Module 4, the Speaking and Listening Goal Tracker lists these three goals:

    • “Goal 1: Ask questions to make sure you understand the text.”

    • “Goal 2: Ask questions to understand what others mean.”

    • “Goal 3: Build on the ideas of others.”

    Each goal includes guidance on determining student progress toward it. For example, evidence of progress for Goal 2 includes:

    • “indicating when they do not understand something said during a discussion

    • responding to a peer’s comment by asking a relevant question using question words (e.g., who, what)

    • referring to the text passage they are asking a question about”

    Notes for the teacher about supporting students who need help progressing toward this goal include:

    • “During the discussion, pause periodically to invite students to ask questions about their peers’ ideas. Encourage students to refer to the text passage they are asking about.

    • After the discussion, display and Echo Read a few statements that require additional clarity. Following each statement, instruct students to brainstorm a list of questions they can ask to better understand what the statement means.

The student practice opportunities for evidence-based discussions in Arts & Letters meet the expectations for indicator 2j. Materials provide opportunities for students to engage in collaborative conversations about texts through structured discussion routines embedded across lessons. Students participate in frequent speaking and listening activities, including partner discussions, small-group conversations, and whole-group discussions, as well as more formal discourse in Distill lessons and Socratic seminars. These discussions require students to ask and answer questions about key details, share examples from the text, and describe their understanding using evidence gathered through rereading or listening. Students are supported in preparing for conversations by revisiting portions of the text, selecting relevant details, and rehearsing their thinking with peers before sharing in larger discussions. Materials also emphasize consideration of others’ perspectives through explicit speaking and listening goals, such as listening closely, responding to peers, and building on others’ ideas. Structured supports, including nonverbal signals, partner practice, and guidance for restating or responding to others’ contributions, reinforce active listening and engagement, helping students clarify and deepen their understanding of texts through collaborative dialogue.

• Materials provide opportunities for students to engage in collaborative conversations about the text being read/read-aloud, which require them to ask and answer questions about the key details in texts, retell texts, and provide details to clarify comprehension and knowledge.  

  • Throughout the Arts & Letters program, students have numerous opportunities to engage in various types of collaborative conversations about the texts being read. Students speak and listen in all lessons and engage in more formal opportunities in the Distill lessons and the Socratic seminars in the Module Finale.

    • In Grade K, Module 1, Arc B, Lesson 10, students engage in a discussion about the question, “How does the boy in the book use his senses?” Students learn about the lesson’s speaking and listening goal: “Speak loudly enough for others to hear you.” To help students prepare for the discussion, the teacher rereads excerpts from the text, then students discuss what they heard in a Think-Pair-Share. Students choose one example from the text about how the boy uses his senses that they will share in the discussion, then engage in a discussion where they share that example and use a nonverbal signal whenever they hear someone else share an example similar to their own.

    • In Grade 2, Module 3, Module Finale, Lesson 34, students engage in a Socratic seminar about the module Essential Question, “How did civil rights advocates respond to injustice?” After preparing for the seminar, students begin their discussion and “share at least two qualities of the civil rights advocates, using examples from the texts.” The teacher also reminds students of the speaking and listening goals from the module, supporting their claims with evidence from texts and building on others’ ideas.

• Materials provide opportunities for students to consider others’ perspectives and engage in intellectual discourse about texts and topics they are reading (or read aloud).

  • In each module, the materials focus students on speaking and listening goals, many of which involve considering others’ perspectives and building on others’ ideas.

    • In Grade 1, Module 2, Arc A, Lesson 5, students prepare for a discussion about the central idea in “Seven Blind Mice” by Ed Young, and the teacher introduces the speaking and listening goal: “Listen closely to what others say.” The Speaking and Listening Goal Tracker for Module 2 explains that evidence of progress for this goal includes:

      • “facing the speaker

      • responding to what the speaker says by using nonverbal cues, when prompted

      • restating what the speaker says, when prompted”

      Before engaging in the whole-group discussion, students orally rehearse the example they want to share and practice listening closely to their partner. Students then “engage in a discussion to share their examples of what the mice learn while observing the Something. Instruct them to listen closely and use a nonverbal signal (e.g., a thumbs-up) when they hear an example like their own.”

Teacher guidance for explicit vocabulary instruction in Arts & Letters’ materials meets expectations for indicator 2k. Materials include structured, explicit practices for introducing key vocabulary and supporting the early development of word-learning strategies within the context of texts. Vocabulary instruction is integrated into lessons and emphasizes the explicit teaching of content-specific, high-utility words essential to comprehension. Students engage in a consistent Vocabulary Exploration Routine that includes repeating and clapping syllables, hearing and discussing student-friendly definitions read aloud by the teacher, and examining basic word features or letter-sound correspondences. Instruction is supported by resources such as Knowledge Deck Cards, which pair visuals with definitions and example sentences to reinforce understanding. Students interact with vocabulary through multiple modalities, including speaking, listening, acting out meanings, and connecting words to their experiences. Vocabulary is introduced before and during reading and revisited across lessons through review activities and discussions that help students make connections among terms. These repeated and varied exposures support students in building and applying vocabulary knowledge as they engage with texts.

• Materials include structured and explicit practices for introducing key vocabulary words and independent word-learning strategies within the context of the texts (student-friendly definitions, analyzing morphemes, word maps, and discussion of word relationships/shades of meaning, dictionary skills, context clues).

  • In the Implementation Guide, the Teaching Vocabulary section describes a structured approach to vocabulary instruction integrated into the study of complex texts and focused on building students’ understanding of both content-specific and academic language. The materials emphasize explicit instruction on key vocabulary words essential to comprehending module texts, along with repeated exposure to these words before, during, and after reading. Instruction includes strategies such as introducing and discussing word meanings in context, analyzing word parts (e.g., prefixes, roots, and suffixes), and exploring relationships between words to deepen understanding. Students engage with vocabulary through multiple modalities, including discussion, reading, and writing, and are supported by resources such as Knowledge Deck Cards and glossaries. The guidance also highlights the importance of revisiting and reinforcing vocabulary across lessons and texts to support long-term retention and application, while providing teacher supports for modeling, practice, and ongoing review of vocabulary development.

  • The materials provide the Vocabulary Exploration Routine to explicitly teach content-specific, text-specific, and academic vocabulary words in each module. The routine is explicitly outlined in the Teach books the first time it occurs in a grade level and is also available in the Implementation Guide. The routine consists of:

    • “The teacher says the word and simultaneously claps each syllable. 

    • Students echo by repeating the term and clapping for each syllable. 

    • The teacher identifies the word and shares word parts or letter-sound correspondences that can help students decode the word. (The Word Analysis Chart provides this word information for teachers. Teachers can reference this chart before or during the Vocabulary Exploration Routine.) 

    • Read the definition.

      • In levels K–2, the teacher reads aloud the definition.

      • In levels 3–8, the teacher invites a student to read aloud the definition.”

  • Each module contains a set of Knowledge Deck Cards to support students in learning the module vocabulary. The Implementation Guide explains,

    • “The front of the Knowledge Deck Card includes the module term and an image to support understanding of the word 

    • The back of the Knowledge Deck Card includes the term and part of speech at the top, a student-friendly definition, and a sample sentence using the term”

    After teachers introduce the Knowledge Deck Card, they facilitate the Vocabulary Exploration Routine to deepen students’ understanding of the new vocabulary. 

  • In Grade K, Module 1, Arc A, Lesson 1, the teacher introduces the word senses using the Knowledge Deck Card and explains what the Vocabulary Exploration Routine is: “First, you say the term and simultaneously clap once for each syllable. Then, students copy the action by repeating the term and clapping once for each syllable. Finally, you read aloud the definition, and direct attention to the image on the Knowledge Card to help students understand the term’s meaning.” The materials also provide a student-friendly definition of the word at point of use in the Teach book.

  • In Grade 2, Module 3, Arc A, Lesson 3, the teacher reads aloud Martin Luther King, Jr. and the March on Washington by Frances E. Ruffin and Stephen Marchesi, and explains that the word march can mean multiple things. The materials direct the teacher to “Explain that in this sentence march is a verb that expresses an action that people are doing at the event. Introduce the vocabulary term march by displaying the Knowledge Card. Engage students in Vocabulary Exploration. Instruct students to demonstrate walking and then marching.” The materials also provide both definitions at point of use in the Teach book.

• Attention is paid to vocabulary essential to understanding the text and high-utility academic words. Materials provide multiple exposures to key vocabulary within (i.e., before, during, after reading) and across texts.

  • Throughout each module, students have multiple exposures to vocabulary that is both relevant to the text, high-utility, and content-specific. When a new vocabulary word is introduced, the teacher displays the Knowledge Card and then takes students through the Vocabulary Exploration Routine. Depending on the lesson and text, this vocabulary instruction may happen before students read or when they encounter the key vocabulary in the text. The materials also include some opportunities throughout each module to review key terms through various activities that connect the module terms.

    • In Grade 1, Module 3, Arc E, Lesson 25, the teacher introduces the word gale using the Knowledge Card and Vocabulary Exploration Routine after students encounter it in the text The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba, Bryan Mealer, and Elizabeth Zunon. The materials direct teachers to “Explain that the authors could have written wind, but they chose to use words such as breeze and gale to help the reader connect to William’s experience. Remind students that they learned the term breeze from Feel the Wind. Introduce the vocabulary term gale by displaying the Knowledge Card. Engage students in Vocabulary Exploration.” Later in the lesson, students learn the word harness, and the materials guide teachers to “Remind students that as William harnessed the wind, he experienced both breezy wind and gusting wind. Display and Echo Read the terms breezy and gusting. Ask these questions:

      • Which type of wind is more powerful: one that is breezy or gusting? 

      • Why do you think that?”

      In Lesson 26, the teacher begins the lesson by reviewing what harness means. In Arc F, Lesson 36, the teacher reviews the Knowledge Deck Cards from the arc to help students make connections across the words. Teachers then choose one of the listed vocabulary activities for students to do:

      • “Mix and Mingle: Read aloud each term while distributing one Knowledge Card to each pair of students. Instruct pairs to generate a knowledge statement using the term on their card. Tell pairs to circulate and share their knowledge statement with other pairs.

      • Share Connections: Distribute one Knowledge Card to pairs of students. Instruct pairs to share what they know about the term. Tell pairs to circulate and find another pair. Tell the group of four students to work together to form a complete sentence that connects the two terms. 

      • Create a Web: Facilitate creation of a class web of terms. Display and read aloud all module 3 Knowledge Cards. Select one Knowledge Card to be the center of the word web. Tell students to select a new Knowledge Card and state a connection between the two terms. Draw a line between the cards to signify the connection. Instruct students to continue adding new Knowledge Cards to the web as they discuss the connections between terms.”

  • Students also have opportunities to learn content-specific words related to literacy concepts.

    • In Grade 2, Module 4, Arc B, Lesson 8, in the Write portion of the lesson, students learn about verbs and adverbs. The materials direct teachers to “Underline the verb dances. Explain that the adverb quickly describes how Belle dances. Introduce the vocabulary term adverb. Say the term aloud, and instruct students to repeat it. Define the term.” Students then act out different adverbs and learn about the suffix -ly

The vocabulary practice opportunities in Arts & Letters’ materials meet expectations for indicator 2l. Materials provide opportunities for students to use independent word-learning strategies to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words within the context of texts. Across lessons, students are guided to analyze word parts, such as prefixes and base words, and use their knowledge of these components to infer meaning. Students also practice using context clues by identifying surrounding words and ideas that provide insight into unknown vocabulary, often recording and discussing these clues before confirming meanings through direct instruction. In addition to learning strategies for determining meaning, students have multiple opportunities to apply newly acquired academic and content-specific vocabulary in discussion and writing, reinforcing their understanding through use. Materials also include structured review activities that revisit previously taught vocabulary, prompting students to make connections among words, generate knowledge statements, and categorize terms based on shared features or concepts. These repeated opportunities to analyze, apply, and revisit vocabulary support the development of independent word-learning skills.

• Materials include opportunities for students to use independent word-learning strategies to understand the meaning of challenging words (inferring from context or using morphological awareness).

  • Across each module, students have opportunities to use the word-learning strategies taught to understand the meaning of challenging words.

    • In Grade 1, Module 2, Arc D, Lesson 21, students learn that the word research can be both a noun and a verb. Students engage in a Think-Pair-Share discussion about the word using these questions:

      • “What do you know about research? 

      • Do you hear any word parts in research that you already know?

      • How does the meaning of re- help you understand research?”

    • In Grade 2, Module 1, Arc C, Lesson 15, students begin by noticing unknown words as the teacher reads aloud from Why Do Leaves Change Color? by Betsy Maestro and Loretta Krupinski. The teacher explains that students can look for clues around an unknown word to help understand its meaning. Students then look for clues around the word pigment to help them understand its meaning and add these clues to a graphic organizer. Students engage in a Think-Pair-Share discussion about what they think pigment means before the teacher reinforces the definition with the Knowledge Deck Card and Vocabulary Exploration routine.

• Materials include opportunities for students to use academic and content-specific vocabulary in various contexts.

  • Once students are introduced to a word through the Knowledge Cards and Vocabulary Exploration routine, they have multiple opportunities in the lesson and module to use and hear the word.

    • In Grade K, Module 4, Arc B, Lesson 8, students encounter the word journey in the text My First Day by Phùng Nguyên Quang and Huỳnh Kim Liên. Students learn about the word journey using the Knowledge Card and Vocabulary Exploration routine. They discuss the word in the context of the text and write an opinion response to the question, “Would you want to go on the journey in My First Day? Write a paragraph to share your opinion” during the Write portion of the lesson. The teacher uses the word journey repeatedly throughout the module, and it is implied that students will use it in writing and discussion, as it is essential to the unit. However, explicit direction to use the word is more limited.

    • In Grade 2, Module 3, Arc B, Lesson 12, students learn the word equality using the Knowledge Card and Vocabulary Exploration routine. They discuss the word in the context of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, using the questions, “What parts of Dr. King’s dream for equality have come true? What parts of his dream are we still working on?” Later in the lesson, when students are revising their informative paragraphs, the teacher directs them to use module vocabulary, including equality, in their writing. In Lesson 31, students engage in a discussion about the question, “What did you learn about educational equality?” In the Module Finale, Lesson 37, students write a speech about a civil rights issue they learned about in the module, and the materials direct teachers to “Tell students that they will write a speech about a civil rights issue they read about in the module. Display all of the module’s Knowledge Cards. Encourage students to use the Knowledge Cards to help them brainstorm a topic for their speech, such as equality or freedom.”

• Practice opportunities incorporate the review of previously learned words based on their connection to the topic of study.

  • After each module assessment, the materials provide dedicated vocabulary review activities to “help students solidify key knowledge of the module topic.” The materials offer multiple activities for the teacher to choose from.

    • In Grade 1, Module 4, Arc C, Lesson 21, the Review Module Terms portion of the lessons directs teachers to review the Knowledge Cards from previous lessons, then choose from one of the following activities:

      • “Share What You Know: Choose one Knowledge Card and read aloud the term and definition. Instruct students to silently form a knowledge statement with that term and then share that statement with a partner. Invite pairs to share with the class. Tell students to use a nonverbal signal (e.g., a thumbs-up) if they hear a knowledge statement like their own. Repeat the activity by choosing another Knowledge Card. 

      • Connect Two Terms: Display two Knowledge Cards. Model how to connect the two terms in one sentence. Instruct pairs to use a complete sentence to make a different connection between the two terms. Invite pairs to share their sentences with the class. 

      • Group Module Terms: Say or display a connection among several terms on the Knowledge Cards (e.g., character types, nouns). Instruct pairs or small groups to identify terms from other Knowledge Cards that also fit the connection you named.” 

      There is also a Teacher Note that states, “Reviewing Knowledge Cards offers an opportunity to deepen the knowledge of the module. Consider which Knowledge Threads to elevate when selecting terms for the activity. Find the Knowledge Threads in the module overview.”

The sentence composition instruction in the Arts & Letters’ materials meets expectations for indicator 2m. Materials include explicit instruction and modeling guidance in sentence composition skills, with a focus on developing students’ understanding of grammar, syntax, and sentence construction through structured routines. Instruction emphasizes forming, expanding, connecting, and combining sentences, beginning with teacher modeling and think-alouds that demonstrate how sentence structures work, often using examples drawn directly from core and mentor texts. Students engage in oral practice through collaborative routines such as partner discussions before applying these skills in writing, supporting the transfer from spoken to written language. Lessons incorporate exemplar sentences from texts to highlight punctuation, sentence fluency, and how language conveys meaning, with teachers guiding students to analyze and revise sentences for clarity and detail. Across activities, students practice using sentence components correctly, expanding ideas with additional details, and applying conventions such as punctuation, reinforcing sentence composition skills through repeated, contextualized practice.

• Materials include explicit instruction and modeling guidance in sentence-composition skills (use of punctuation, sentence elaboration, sentence combining using cohesive ties, sentence fluency). 

  • According to the Implementation Guide, in Grades K-2, Arts & Letters focuses on supporting students in developing an “understanding of English language grammar and syntax primarily through oral exercises during Know lessons. Students receive instruction in 

    • forming sentences, 

    • expanding sentences, 

    • connecting ideas, and 

    • combining sentences.

    Students are first provided explicit instruction on a specific sentence construction approach. Then they work with a partner to create a new sentence, following instructional routines such as Mix and Mingle or Think– Pair–Share and others in this oral sentence work.” 

    • In Grade K, Module 3, Arc B, Lesson 11, the materials direct teachers to “Explain that students will practice expanding a sentence to include more detail as they share knowledge statements about airplanes…Emphasize that responding to question words such as when can help writers expand a sentence. Tell students that they will practice expanding a new sentence by answering a question that begins with when.” The teacher then asks students, “When do airplanes fly?” to help them practice forming and expanding sentences using when.

  • The Implementation Guide notes that the materials also provide explicit instruction in sentence composition skills in the Learn: Write portion of the lesson: “In the Learn: Write lesson section, the teacher often demonstrates how the skill works by thinking aloud or referring to the writing model and then prompts students to practice the skill orally with a partner. This oral practice creates a foundation for transferring the skill to writing. Students then practice applying the skill to their writing.”

    • In Grade 2, Module 2, Arc C, Lesson 15, the materials direct teachers to “discuss different types of nouns and then practice using them correctly. Explain that it is necessary to use nouns correctly so that others understand what students are saying and writing” after listening to “Life in a Soddy” by Marcia Amidon Lusted. The teacher explains singular and plural nouns, providing examples from the text, then students look back at the text to identify different types of nouns. After adding to a class chart of collective nouns, the teacher guides students to choose two nouns from the chart and write complete sentences about the American West using those nouns. 

• Materials utilize exemplar sentences from core and mentor texts that contain clear, varied, and rich examples of sentence structure.

  • The materials draw sentences from the texts students are studying to serve as mentors for sentence-composition instruction.

    • In Grade 1, Module 3, Arc A, Lesson 3, the materials direct teachers to “Introduce the vocabulary term comma. Say the term aloud, and instruct students to repeat it. Define the term. Explain that commas cue readers to pause briefly when they are reading. Writers use commas so that readers can understand their writing.” The teacher then displays a sentence from Wild Is the Wind by Grahame Baker-Smith and asks, “What might Cassi see in this part of the text?” The teacher then displays the sentence again, this time without commas, and reads it aloud without pausing. The teacher then models how to add a comma to separate some of the words and “Reinforce[s] that commas serve various purposes; here, the commas separate words in a sentence and cue the reader where to briefly pause as they read.”

The student opportunities for sentence-level writing in the Arts & Letters’ materials meet expectations for indicator 2n. Materials provide opportunities for students to write sentences about texts under study while practicing and applying sentence-composition skills in meaningful contexts. During instruction, students engage in writing tasks that require them to apply skills such as sentence combining, elaboration, and correct use of conventions to express ideas about characters, events, and key details from texts. These opportunities are supported by modeling and discussion, followed by collaborative and independent practice. Students also revisit and refine their own writing, using guidance from writing models and prior instruction to edit for capitalization, punctuation, and clarity, reinforcing their understanding of sentence structure. Additionally, materials include opportunities for students to consider audience and purpose, such as distinguishing between formal and informal language and adjusting their word choice accordingly in both written and oral communication. Across lessons, these integrated experiences support students in applying sentence composition skills while engaging directly with the content of texts.

• Materials include opportunities for students to write sentences about the texts under study while practicing and applying sentence composition skills.

  • In the Know lessons, students have opportunities to write about the texts under study while applying the sentence composition skills they are learning.

    • In Grade 1, Module 4, Arc A, Lesson 6, students learn that they can combine two short sentences into one long sentence. The teacher first models using sentences related to a version of “Cinderella.” Students then engage in a Think-Pair-Share discussion about the question, “What are some others ways you can combine these sentences?” After the discussion, students combine two new sentences about elements from “Cinderella” and discuss how they did this as a class.

• Materials include opportunities for students to practice and apply sentence composition skills by examining their own writing.

  • Throughout each module, students have multiple opportunities to practice and apply the sentence composition skills they are learning by examining their own writing, often using mentor texts and writing models as exemplars.

    • In Grade K, Module 2, Arc C, Lesson 15, students write a sentence about a character from No Small Potatoes by Tonya Bolden and Don Tate. In Lesson 16, they learn about editing their sentences. The teacher reviews what they have learned about sentences, reinforcing capitalization and punctuation. After analyzing the writing model, students edit their sentences for capitalization and ending punctuation. 

• Materials include opportunities for students to adapt their language based on the intended audience and purpose. 

  • In the module’s writing piece, students have opportunities to adapt their language to the audience and purpose.

    • In Grade 2, Module 3, Arc E, Lesson 29, students prepare for an oral presentation. They learn about formal and informal language and when to use each. Students then rehearse their oral presentation with a partner, ensuring that they use formal language. In Module 4, Arc C, Lesson 15, students learn that contractions are generally not used in formal language and when and how to use them in their writing.

The on-demand and process writing opportunities in the Arts & Letters materials meet expectations for indicator 2o. Materials include a mix of on-demand and process writing opportunities that are integrated throughout instruction and aligned with the texts and topics under study. Students regularly engage in on-demand writing tasks during lessons, such as responding to questions about key ideas, identifying supporting details, and explaining concepts using evidence from texts. In addition, each module includes structured process writing instruction in which students develop pieces over time using predictable models, moving through stages such as gathering evidence, drafting sentences, and composing extended responses. These process writing tasks are organized by purpose, including opinion, informative/explanatory, and narrative writing, and are distributed across modules. Writing opportunities are consistently connected to the content of the texts students read, with students using texts as sources of evidence and as mentor models for their own writing. Across lessons and modules, students write to both demonstrate understanding of texts and develop extended compositions tied to unit topics and essential questions.

• Materials include a mix of grade-appropriate on-demand and process writing.

  • Across each module, the materials provide various on-demand writing opportunities.

    • In Grade 1, Module 4, Arc A, Lesson 7, students work on identifying the author’s point and reasons to support that point while reading “900 Cinderellas” by Marcia Amidon Lusted and Judith C. Greenfield. As students read, they write “at least one reason that supports the authors’ point that many people can connect to the story of Cinderella.”

    • In Grade 2, Module 2, Arc A, Lesson 4, the materials direct teachers to “Instruct students to write at least two sentences in their journals to answer this question: How did the Hidatsa make use of buffalo in their daily lives?”

  • The Write portion of each module takes students through a process-writing piece using predictable models, like the sandwich model for Grades K-2.

    • In Grade K, Module 3, Arc B, Lesson 9, students begin learning about informative writing after reading Transportation Then and Now by Nadia Higgins. Students learn how an informative paragraph is like a sandwich. In Lesson 10, students collect evidence for their informative paragraphs, and in Lesson 11, they write an evidence sentence. Throughout the module, students practice writing focus, evidence, and conclusion sentences for informative paragraphs.

• Materials reflect the distribution indicated by the standards for process writing (K–5 30/35/35 persuade/explain/convey experience). (This criterion is evidence only and not considered in scoring)

  • Across Grades K-2, the writing distribution in Arts & Letters aligns somewhat to what  is indicated in the standards. Arts & Letters organizes process writing types by module, and all grade levels have four modules. The publisher submitted the percentages below in the Arts & Letters Writing Progression and Sequence document available on the digital platform.

    • In Grade K, the distribution of process writing is 33% to persuade, 40% to explain, and 27% to convey experience. Modules 2, 3, and 4 each focus on one writing type, while Module 1 focuses on introductory writing skills.

    • In Grade 1, the distribution of process writing is 39% to persuade, 28% to explain, and 33% to convey experience. Modules 1, 2, and 3 focus on one writing type, and Module 4 includes all three writing types.

    • In Grade 2, the distribution of process writing is 24% to persuade, 47% to explain, and 29% to convey experience.

• Writing opportunities are appropriately aligned to the purpose, genre, and/or topic of the unit’s reading. 

  • The writing opportunities in Arts & Letters align with the topics studied in each module’s texts. Throughout the reading lessons, students respond to questions and prompts related to what they are reading. During the writing portion, the genre and/or topic students focus on are related to what they are reading, either through the topic or the purpose. The writing process lessons often use the texts students are reading as mentor texts.

    • In Grade 2, Module 3, the topic is Civil Rights Advocates, and the Essential Question is, “How did civil rights advocates respond to injustice?” Students have numerous opportunities for writing in response to reading throughout the module. For example, in Arc A, Lesson 2, after listening to Martin Luther King Jr. and the March on Washington by Frances E. Ruffin and Stephen Marchesi, the learning task states, “Direct students to the Notice and Wonder Chart for Martin Luther King Jr. and the March on Washington, located in the Learn book. Instruct them to write at least three things they notice about the text and at least three related questions.” In Arc B, Lesson 10, after listening to Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, teachers “Direct students to their journals. Instruct students to write at least two sentences to explain how Dr. King used contrast in I Have a Dream.” In Arc D, Lesson 24, after reading about Ruby Bridges, teachers “Direct students to Module Task 2, located in the Learn book. Instruct them to write about how Ruby Bridges responded to injustice for the second paragraph of Module Task 2.” In the Write portion of the lessons, students learn how to write informative paragraphs using textual evidence about how Martin Luther King, Jr., Ruby Bridges, and the Greensboro Four responded to injustice.

The explicit instruction in varied writing processes in Arts & Letters meets expectations for indicator 2p. Materials include explicit instruction in writing processes, with teacher modeling of writing strategies embedded throughout units and connected to texts under study. The program distinguishes between writing-to-learn and learning-to-write, providing both shorter writing tasks to support comprehension and extended, process-oriented writing experiences. Instruction follows a clear progression in which students analyze writing models, collect and organize evidence, practice relevant language skills, and engage in oral rehearsal before independently composing written responses. Teachers model each stage of the writing process, including planning, drafting, elaborating, and revising, often using mentor texts and exemplars to illustrate expectations. The materials also include structured supports such as predictable writing frameworks, Analyze Student Progress guidance, and Assessment Guides with rubrics and sample responses to support evaluation and next steps. Additional guidance is provided for offering targeted feedback and addressing common writing challenges, ensuring that writing instruction is systematic, supported, and integrated with content learning.

• Materials include explicit instruction in writing processes, including teacher modeling of writing strategies and processes, embedded in what students are studying throughout the unit.

  • In the Implementation Guide, the Teaching Writing section describes a structured approach that integrates writing as both a tool for learning and a skill to be explicitly developed over time. The materials distinguish between writing-to-learn, in which students use brief writing tasks to organize ideas, collect evidence, and clarify thinking during reading, and learning-to-write, in which students engage in extended, process-oriented writing tasks. Instruction in writing follows a clear progression that includes modeling, guided practice, and independent application, with teachers using mentor texts and writing models to demonstrate expectations. Students are supported in developing key writing skills such as planning, drafting, elaborating with evidence, and revising, often through predictable routines and frameworks. Writing tasks are closely connected to module topics and texts, ensuring that students write in response to what they read and build knowledge while developing their ability to communicate ideas effectively.

  • The Arts & Letters Writing Progression and Sequence document, found on the digital platform, explains the program’s approach to writing:

    • “Students analyze a writing model.

    • Students collect evidence before writing.

    • Students learn and practice language skills in integrated tasks.

    • Students orally rehearse frequently before writing.

    • Students apply knowledge, structure, and skills in module tasks.

    • Students complete the culminating End-of-Module Task.”

  • In Grades K-2, Arts & Letters uses the “sandwich writing structure,” which “helps grade level K–2 students understand basic structures for informative and opinion writing—evidence is sandwiched between a focus statement and the conclusion.” According to the Implementation Guide, “Because of its unique characteristics, students do not learn a specific structure for narrative writing but instead learn the elements of narrative.” In Grades K-2, students learn about characters, setting, conflict, problem, and solution.

    • In Grade 2, Module 4, students focus on opinion writing related to the module topic, Good Eating, and the Essential Question, “How does food nourish us?” In Arc B, the teacher introduces the structure of an opinion paragraph using a Writing Model and an explanation of the Opinion Paragraph Sandwich. In the Opinion Paragraph Sandwich, the 

      • “introduction sentence: introduces the topic 

      • opinion sentence: tells your opinion 

      • reason sentence: explains why you have that opinion 

      • evidence sentence: uses details from the text to support your reason 

      • conclusion sentence: restates your opinion”

      The teacher also models using evidence notes to write reason and evidence sentences for A Different Pond by Bao Phi and Thi Bui. In Arc C, the teacher models how to write an opinion paragraph, then models how to edit their writing for correct comma usage. The teacher also guides students through planning and writing another opinion paragraph about a different text, Bone Button Borscht by Aubrey Davis and Dušan Petričić, and models using adverbs to strengthen their writing. In Arc D, the teacher explains what a monologue is by analyzing a Writing Model, as students will “Write and record a monologue about why the organ does the most important job in the digestive system” for Module Task 3. The teacher guides students through a similar process using the Opinion Paragraph Sandwich structure and prior learning about adjectives and adverbs. In Arc E, the teacher guides students through the same process they have practiced in previous arcs, as they complete Module Task 4: “Which two foods would you choose to be part of a healthy snack? Write one paragraph to tell your opinion.”

• Materials provide teachers with mentor texts and/or student exemplars to support students in examining how the genre works. 

  • For each process writing piece, the materials provide a writing model to help students write. The materials indicate that the writing models are examples of on-target student work.

    • In Grade K, Module 2, Arc C, Lesson 13, students listen to No Small Potatoes by Tonya Bolden and Don Tate. In the Write portion of the lesson, the teacher reminds students of the story they just read and explains that they will write a story about a farm. The materials direct teachers “Display the writing model for Module Task 1. Explain that looking at a model, or an example, will help students plan the setting for their story. Direct students to look closely at the drawings. Read aloud the writing model.” The teacher asks questions to help students analyze the model, then students draw and label the setting of their story.

• Materials provide guidance and instruction to teachers on how to provide timely and constructive feedback on student writing.

  • In the Implementation Guide, the materials include broad guidance for providing students with feedback on their writing:

    • “Be specific. Name exactly what students do to write effectively. Use Analyze Student Progress criteria, the writing checklist, or the writing rubric to frame this feedback. 

    • Prioritize your feedback. Identify what will be most helpful to students so that they can internalize and apply that feedback. Avoid overwhelming students with too much feedback. Tie feedback to specific goals or previously taught skills. 

    • Be authentic and encouraging. Balance strengths and areas for growth. Use a warm, genuine tone if providing feedback orally. Be mindful of tone in written feedback.”

  • The Implementation Guide also includes a “Meeting Student Needs with Writing” section with if…then statements related to common writing challenges students might encounter. For example, “If students have difficulty elaborating on evidence…

    • Refer students to the writing model(s) and invite them to analyze the elaboration sentences 

    • Provide sentence frames for elaboration 

    • Model elaborating on evidence, thinking aloud as you do 

    • Invite students to explain their elaboration orally to you or a partner. Record or have the partner record key ideas 

    • Check to see whether aligned Prologue lessons offer needed support” 

  • Within the daily lessons, the materials provide teachers with Analyze Student Progress notes that include guidance for monitoring, support, and future practice.

    • In Grade 1, Module 3, Arc B, Lesson 11, students learn about writing an opinion sentence. They analyze a writing model and practice writing an alternate opinion sentence for it. The materials provide an Analyze Student Progress note that states,

      • “Monitor: Do students write an opinion sentence about the wind spreading seeds? 

      • Offer Immediate Support: If students need additional support writing an opinion sentence about the wind spreading seeds, instruct them to use a sentence starter from the chart and orally rehearse their opinion sentence. 

      • Plan Future Practice: Students practice writing an opinion sentence in lesson 14.”

  • Each Module and End-of-Module writing task has an accompanying Assessment Guide that includes:

    • “Context to understand the role of assessment in evaluating student writing development 

    • An annotated single-point rubric to assess student task performance 

    • Annotated sample responses (on-target and advanced) that support teachers in using the rubric 

    • Scoring tools to help teachers quantitatively score student performance 

    • Guidance on analyzing student performance and planning instructional next steps”

The opportunities for students to practice the writing processes in Arts & Letters meet expectations for indicator 2q. Materials include multiple opportunities for students to engage in all stages of the writing process, including planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Students regularly plan their writing through structured routines that begin with oral rehearsal and progress to the use of graphic organizers to capture ideas such as characters, settings, and key events or details. Following the planning stage, students draft their writing in stages, often composing specific parts of a piece before developing a complete response. The materials also include dedicated opportunities for revising and editing, with instruction focused on improving clarity, word choice, organization, and conventions using targeted strategies and tools. In addition, students have opportunities to produce and publish their writing in a variety of formats, including digital formats, where they combine written and visual elements to share their work. Across lessons and modules, these repeated and structured opportunities support students in developing and applying the full writing process.

• Materials include multiple opportunities for students to plan writing (e.g., with graphic organizers).

  • Throughout each module, students have multiple opportunities to plan their writing, often first orally, then in writing using a graphic organizer.

    • In Grade 1, Module 4, Arc C, students write a narrative in which the fairy godmother meets the stepsisters, as they have been learning about different variations of Cinderella. In Lesson 16, students review the Writing Model and identify the characters, setting, and main events. Students engage in a Think-Pair-Share discussion about questions like

      • “Based on the prompt, what characters do you know you will include in your story?

      • What will be the setting in your story?

      • What will happen first? 

      • What will happen next? 

      • What will happen last?”

      After planning their writing orally, students organize this information in the Story Planner graphic organizer in their Learn books.

• Materials include multiple opportunities for students to draft their writing.

  • After students plan their writing and organize their ideas, they draft their piece. Students generally have multiple opportunities per module to draft, as they engage in the writing process within each arc and with each Module Task.

    • In Grade K, Module 3, Arc D, students write an informative paragraph about changes in communication after reading an informational text about that topic. In Lesson 19, students learn how to write a focus sentence for their informative paragraph. The teacher guides them to use words from the prompt, then students orally rehearse their focus sentences with a partner. Next, students write their sentences in the Focus section of their Informative Writing Planner.

• Materials include multiple opportunities for students to revise and edit their writing with grade-appropriate strategies and tools.

  • Each module process writing piece includes dedicated lessons for revising and editing focused on a particular skill within the context of the writing piece students are working on.

    • In Grade 2, Module 3, Arc B, Lesson 12, students revise the word choice in their informative paragraph about how Dr. King responded to injustice. Students learn that “revising is making changes to improve the ideas and structure of a piece of writing [and] that one way writers can improve their writing is by replacing unclear words with specific words.” Students then use the module vocabulary to revise the word choice in their paragraphs to better describe how Dr. King responded to injustice. In Lesson 13, students edit their paragraphs, focusing on correcting any spelling errors and ensuring correct pronoun usage.

• Materials include some opportunities for students to use technology to produce and publish writing. 

  • Throughout each module, students have opportunities to produce and publish their writing in different ways, some of which involve technology, but these opportunities are often left to the teacher’s discretion.

    • In Grade 1, Module 4, Module Finale, Lesson 37, students plan out a digital book page, which “includes words and images to share information, similar to a traditional book, but it is created by using a digital tool, such as a computer or tablet. Each student will create one page, and all the pages will be compiled into a book” about the prompt, “Choose a character from the module that you think is a good example of a hero, helper, or villain.” In Lesson 39, students create the digital book page using a tool determined by the teacher.

The opportunities for students to practice evidence-based writing in Arts & Letters meet expectations for indicator 2r. Materials provide frequent writing opportunities that require students to ask and answer questions about key details in texts while drawing on evidence and knowledge developed throughout a unit. The program emphasizes both writing-to-learn and learning-to-write, with writing-to-learn tasks supporting students in organizing ideas, collecting and recording evidence, and articulating their thinking in response to texts. Across lessons, students engage in activities such as completing graphic organizers, recording notes, and responding to prompts that require them to gather and use textual evidence. These experiences often build toward more extended writing tasks, including opinion and informative responses, in which students use evidence they have collected to support their ideas. Students also participate in writing tasks that involve recalling and analyzing information from texts, such as describing key details, explaining concepts, or forming opinions grounded in evidence. Through these repeated and structured opportunities, students use writing as a tool to deepen comprehension and demonstrate understanding of texts and topics.

• Materials provide frequent writing opportunities that require students to ask and answer questions about key details in a text by drawing from the texts and knowledge built throughout the unit. Materials provide frequent writing opportunities focused on students’ recall or analysis of information to develop opinions based in part on textual evidence.

  • The Implementation Guide explains that Arts & Letters views writing in two ways: writing-to-learn and learning-to-write. In the writing-to-learn opportunities, “students use writing as a tool to organize ideas, collect evidence, and articulate thinking. For example, students might add characters or setting details to a story map, note what they notice and wonder about a new text, or collect evidence in an evidence organizer.”

    • In Grade K, Module 4, Arc D, Lesson 23, students collect evidence from the text before responding to the Module Task 3 prompt, “Would you want to dig up bones or work in a museum? Write a paragraph to tell your opinion.” The teacher displays an Evidence Organizer and reads aloud from the text. Students discuss key ideas from the text with a partner, then record evidence in the “Dig” column of the Evidence Organizer. The materials direct teachers to “Explain that students will choose evidence notes to add to their journal. Tell students to choose at least two examples explaining why they would like to dig up dinosaur bones. Instruct students to draw and write two evidence notes about digging up bones.” In the following lesson, students collect evidence about working in a museum.

    • In Grade 1, Module 2, Arc C, Lesson 13, students collect evidence about treefrogs from Dear Treefrog by Joyce Sidman and Diana Sudyka for their informative paragraphs. The teacher “Tell[s] students that they will listen to sections of the text that include evidence of how a treefrog uses its features to stay safe. Then they will add two evidence notes to their planners. Remind students that when they write notes, they will write short phrases.” In Lesson 14, students use the evidence they collected in the previous lesson to write evidence sentences for their informative paragraphs.

    • In Grade 2, Arc B, Lesson 9, students describe seasonal changes using the knowledge gained from the module texts. The materials have teachers “Direct students to the Seasonal Changes of a Tree for Sky Tree, located in the Learn book. Instruct students to use textual evidence to draw and describe how the tree changes from fall to winter.”

The explicit instruction of research skills to encourage students to develop knowledge of a topic in Arts & Letters meets expectations for indicator 2s. Materials include research projects and instruction that build students’ research skills through a structured and integrated approach across modules. The materials embed inquiry throughout instruction, guiding students to generate questions, gather information from multiple sources, and organize and synthesize their findings in response to meaningful, content-based topics. Research is developed both informally through daily lessons and formally through dedicated projects in which students plan, collect evidence, and present their learning. Instruction explicitly teaches research skills such as identifying relevant information, using multiple texts and media sources, organizing evidence, and applying findings to written or oral tasks.

• Materials include research projects to build research skills that lead to mastery of the grade-level standards.

  • In the Implementation Guide, the “Teaching Inquiry and Research” section describes a structured approach to building students’ ability to ask questions, gather information, and develop knowledge through research connected to module topics. Inquiry is driven by meaningful, content-based questions, often tied to module essential questions, and students engage in a process that includes generating questions, collecting information from texts and other sources, and organizing their findings. Instruction supports students in using evidence, refining questions, and synthesizing information, often through collaborative discussions and written responses. The materials also incorporate guidance on using sources responsibly, including citing evidence and distinguishing relevant information. Research tasks are integrated with reading and writing instruction, culminating in projects or presentations in which students apply their learning, communicate their findings, and demonstrate understanding of both content and research skills.

  • In K–2, research skills develop through a gradual progression from guided exploration to more independent information gathering and use. Students begin by engaging in shared inquiry experiences, where teachers model how to ask and answer questions about texts and topics, often using read-alouds and discussions to build curiosity and background knowledge. As they progress, students practice identifying what they notice and wonder, asking simple questions, and locating relevant information within texts, images, or teacher-provided sources. They learn to collect and organize information using basic tools such as graphic organizers, drawings, and short notes, often supported by oral rehearsal. Instruction also introduces foundational skills such as distinguishing important details, using evidence to support ideas, and beginning to reference the sources of information. By the end of the progression, students participate in more structured research tasks that require them to gather information from multiple sources, organize their findings, and share their knowledge through speaking, drawing, or writing, with continued teacher guidance and scaffolding throughout.

  • The Arts & Letters materials are designed to build inquiry and research skills throughout each module in informal ways, and students also engage in one-two formal research projects per year.

    • In Grade K, Module 4, Arc C, Lesson 20, students read Sing to the Moon by Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl and Sandra van Doorn. The teacher “Remind[s] students that they identified the question they most wanted to answer during the Wonder lesson and added it to the mural.” Students then think about the questions they previously generated and discuss with a partner:

      • “Did you learn the answer to your question? 

      • If so, what was your question, and what was the answer?”

      The teacher “Reinforce[s] that some students may have learned the answers to their questions in previous lessons, but some questions might require more reading and research” then reads aloud from another text about Africa, directing students to listen closely for new information that may answer their questions.

    • In Grade 2, Module 3, Arc E, Module Task 3, students will research how Gordon Parks, Ed Roberts, Sheyann Webb, or the Gang of 19 responded to injustice, then create a digital display to present their research. Students plan their research, collect evidence, create the digital display, and orally present their findings. 

• Materials include explicit instruction of research skills that encourage students to develop knowledge of a topic using multiple texts and source materials.

  • Arts & Letters is designed to teach students research skills across all modules, not just those formally dedicated to a research project. The materials provide explicit instruction in various research skills using multiple texts and source materials that build students’ knowledge and understanding of research skills over time.

    • In Grade K, Module 1, Arc A, Lesson 6, the materials direct teachers to “Tell students that they will view the video ‘Making Observations’ to learn more about the five senses. Explain that, by watching a video about the five senses, students are collecting more information, or evidence, about the five senses. As they collect textual evidence to build knowledge, students are doing research. Tell them that research means ‘getting information about a topic.’” The teacher then engages students in a Think-Pair-Share discussion about questions like “What did you learn from the video?” and “How does collecting information from more than one text help you build knowledge about a topic?”

    • In Grade 1, Module 3, the module topic is Wind Power, and the Essential Question is “How is the wind powerful?” Throughout the module, teachers explicitly teach research skills to help students build knowledge of the topic and eventually write an opinion paragraph for Module Task 4 based on the prompt, “Is the wind helpful or harmful? Write a paragraph to tell your opinion.” In Arc E, Lesson 24, students collect evidence from various sources about jobs that study wind. The teacher “Remind[s] students that when you research a topic, you collect evidence from more than one source. Tell students that they will continue to conduct research on meteorologists by listening to the ‘More’ section from Ride the Storm about a meteorologist named Heather Holbach.” Students also learn to organize their evidence notes. In Lesson 29, the teacher introduces the prompt and “Explain[s] that students will conduct research for this task by using multiple sources and write evidence notes to support each possible opinion.” The teacher then “Explain[s] that students will continue to conduct research as they collect evidence from Feel the Wind. Distribute Feel the Wind to pairs. Instruct students to explore the text and use sticky notes to annotate how the wind is harmful. Tell them to add their evidence notes to the appropriate side of the evidence organizer.” In the following lessons, students use their research to write their introductory, evidence, and concluding sentences.

The formative assessment guidance in Arts & Letters meets expectations for indicator 2u. Materials include formative assessments and embedded supports that help teachers determine students’ current skills and levels of understanding throughout instruction. Daily Learning Tasks serve as ongoing checks for understanding that assess both content knowledge and literacy skills, providing teachers with information about students’ progress toward lesson goals. These tasks require students to demonstrate understanding through discussions, written responses, drawings, and other text-based activities, while accompanying Key Ideas support teachers in identifying essential understandings to reinforce as needed. The materials also provide guidance for instructional adjustments through Analyze Student Progress notes that include monitoring prompts, suggestions for immediate support, and recommendations for future practice. However, guidance for pushing advanced students is more limited. These embedded supports help teachers identify student strengths and needs, respond to misunderstandings, and plan subsequent instruction to support continued progress.

• Materials include formative assessments and support for the teacher in determining students’ current skills/level of understanding.

  • The Implementation Guide explains that formative assessment in Arts & Letters happens through the daily Learning Tasks, which are “brief checks for understanding that monitor students’ progress with lesson learning goals to enable teachers to continually monitor and respond to student learning.” The Learning Tasks assess both content knowledge and literacy skills and are designed to help teachers

    • “understand students’ strengths and needs with the module content and skills, 

    • determine which students need additional support or challenge, 

    • prepare future instruction with students’ needs in mind, and 

    • reflect on daily instruction.”

    The Teach books also often include Key Ideas students should gain through the Learning Task that teachers can reinforce if needed.

  • In Grade K, Module 2, Arc A, Lesson 3, students listen to Hare and Tortoise by Alison Murray. After engaging in discussion about the beginning, middle, and end of the story, the materials introduce the Learning Task: “Direct students to their journals. Instruct them to draw and label a picture to show what happens at the end of the story.” The materials also provide a list of Key Ideas that students should include so that the teacher can reinforce if necessary:

    • “Hare wakes up and hears animals cheering. 

    • Hare rushes to the finish line. 

    • Tortoise wins the race.”

  • In Grade 2, Module 1, Arc C, Lesson 14, students engage in a Think-Pair-Share about the question, “Why is chlorophyll important?” as one of the lesson’s Learning Tasks. The materials provide a list of Key Ideas that students should discuss so that the teacher can reinforce if necessary:

    • “Chlorophyll makes leaves green. 

    • Chlorophyll helps leaves absorb sunlight. 

    • Leaves need sunlight to make food, and chlorophyll absorbs sunlight.”

  • Although considered formal assessments, the Module Tasks can be used formatively to inform instruction before students complete the End-of-Module Task, as they build toward the EOM Task.

• Materials include guidance that supports the teacher in making instructional adjustments to increase student progress.

  • Immediately following a Learning Task in the Teach books is an Analyze Student Progress note for the teacher, which provides various types of guidance. While this guidance supports teachers in making instructional adjustments for students who struggle, the guidance for pushing advanced students is much more limited. The Implementation Guide explains that Analyze Student Progress notes provide the following types of guidance:

    • “Monitor helps teachers analyze student progress by specifying what teachers should look for in student performance. 

    • Offer Immediate Support suggests a path to help students who are initially unsuccessful at completing a learning task. 

    • Plan Future Practice notes when students practice the same or a similar skill again in a future lesson.”

  • In Grade 1, Module 3, Arc C, Lesson 16, the materials introduce the Learning Task: “Direct students to their journals. Instruct them to write at least two sentences about how the wind is like a person in the story.” Immediately following the Learning Task is an Analyze Student Progress notes that states,

    • “Monitor: Do students use details from the text to describe specific ways that the wind is like a person?

    • Offer Immediate Support: If students need additional support describing the wind, ask them to describe what is happening on pages 27–28. 

    • Plan Future Practice: Students practice examining the effects of word choice in lesson 21.”

    The materials also include a list of Key Ideas to ensure students’ responses are on the right track:

    • “Wind talks to Gilberto. 

    • Wind likes to play. 

    • Wind is tired at the end of the day.”

The summative assessment guidance in Arts & Letters meets expectations for indicator 2v. Materials include culminating tasks and summative assessments aligned with module topics and designed to integrate multiple literacy skills, including reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The program incorporates a progression of assessments throughout each module, including comprehension assessments, Module Tasks, and End-of-Module Tasks, which allow students to demonstrate their developing knowledge, language, and literacy skills. Module Tasks are sequenced to build toward culminating tasks and provide structured opportunities for students to apply skills and content learned in preceding lessons, while End-of-Module Tasks require students to synthesize learning through extended writing, presentations, or research-based responses connected to module texts and themes. The materials also provide guidance and support for teachers through Assessment Guides that include scoring tools, rubrics, annotated sample responses, assessment overviews, and recommendations for responding to student performance. These resources support teachers in administering, evaluating, and interpreting student work while monitoring progress toward module learning goals.

• Culminating tasks/summative assessments are evident in each unit/module and align to the unit’s/module’s topic or theme. Culminating tasks/summative assessments provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the unit/module while integrating multiple literacy skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening).

  • The Implementation Guide explains the various types of summative assessments and culminating tasks students engage in throughout each module.

    • In Grade K through part of Grade 2, students are assessed using Listening Comprehension Assessments, which allow students to demonstrate their 

      • “understanding of text-based vocabulary, 

      • ability to navigate language and text structures, 

      • verbal reasoning skills, such as interpreting figurative language or making inferences, and skills.”

      These assessments also assess “module-specific vocabulary and the knowledge students have built so far in the module.”

  • Beginning in the second half of Grade 2 and continuing through Grade 8, students are assessed through Reading Comprehension Assessments, which allow them to demonstrate their

    • “understanding of text-based vocabulary, 

    • ability to navigate language and text structures, 

    • verbal reasoning skills, such as interpreting figurative language or making inferences, and 

    • comprehension skills.”

  • Each module includes two to five Module Tasks, which are “formal assessments—writing or presentation tasks— that provide opportunities for students to synthesize key learning and demonstrate their developing writing or speaking skills. Prompts are designed and sequenced to follow the knowledge build of each module.” The Module Tasks build toward the End-of-Module (EOM) Task. These can be used formatively or summatively.

    • In Grade 1, Module 4, Arc C, Lessons 16-19, for Module Task 2, “Students write a story in which the wolf from Lon Po Po meets the children’s grandmother. They include a character and setting, as well as at least three events. Students use time order words to sequence events and include an ending that provides a sense of closure. During this task, students draw on and extend the narrative writing skills they developed in module 1.” This helps students build the skills and knowledge to later complete the EOM Task, in which they “write a paragraph about a character from the module that they think is a good example of a hero, helper, or villain. They create a page for a digital book that conveys their choice.”

  • EOM Tasks are the final formal assessment for a module: “In these writing or speaking assessments, students engage in the full writing process (including, when relevant, research) to demonstrate their knowledge and skills gained from the module. Students complete the EOM Task during the module finale and focus on the module’s texts.”

    • In Grade K, Module 4, the EOM Task asks students to “present an opinion about which continent they would choose to explore if they were going on an adventure. As students prepare their presentation, they create a digital display featuring images that support their opinion. Students also add a title and label the images on their digital display. During the presentation, students state their opinion, explain what their digital display shows about why they chose their continent, and support their opinion with evidence from module texts.”

• Materials provide opportunities to support students in gaining the knowledge and skills needed to complete the culminating tasks/summative assessments.

  • The Module Tasks are designed to build toward the EOM Task and “measure the knowledge, language, and key writing or speaking skills students built in the preceding lesson arc(s). Teachers use the module tasks as formative assessments to inform instruction before the EOM Task, where students will demonstrate their independence with these skills in a culminating assessment.”

    • In Grade 2, Module 1, students complete four Module Tasks that prepare them for the EOM Task. 

      • In Module Task 1, “Students write a description of a fall day, demonstrating knowledge of how seasons affect nature. Students use sensory details to describe the setting and convey ideas in complete sentences.”

      • In Module Task 2, “Students write a story about the journey of a leaf in the fall. They deepen and expand their understanding of story structure, incorporating sensory details that develop the character, setting, problem, and solution. They also use time order words to sequence events in their story.”

      • In Module Task 3, “Students write a story about the journey of a snow crystal, continuing to incorporate story elements of character, setting, problem, and solution and using sensory details to develop these elements. During a revision task, they add a clear ending to provide a sense of closure to the narrative.”

      • In Module Task 4, “Students write a story, incorporating all story elements and narrative techniques studied in the module, in which a character responds to the change from winter to spring. Their stories demonstrate knowledge of how changes in seasons affect both nature and people.”

      • These tasks build toward the EOM Task and prepare students to put together all the elements they have learned. For the EOM Task, “students write a story in which a character responds to a change in seasons. To plan their writing, students add story elements—setting, characters, problem, and solution—to a story planner and brainstorm sensory details that enhance their description of the seasons. As they draft their story, students use time order words to signal the sequence of events and create an ending that provides closure to the narrative.”

• Materials include guidance that supports the teacher in determining and evaluating student performance on the culminating tasks/summative assessments in the program. 

  • The Implementation Guide provides an overview of what teachers can find in the Assessment Guides, which, for the Comprehension Assessments, include “a copy of the assessment, offers context for the assessment, and provides analysis of the assessment items, scoring guidance, an alignment with specific Arts & Letters Achievement Descriptors, and guidance for how to respond to student performance in the Responsive Teaching lesson.” For Module Tasks and EOM Tasks, the Assessment Guides explain “how to administer the assessment, how to contextualize and understand the assessment’s purpose within the module, how to score the assessment, and how to interpret and act upon the reports. The Assessment Guide also includes a copy of the task prompt and rubric. Each module task and EOM Task Assessment Guide contextualizes the assessment’s placement within the module with a brief description and a chart that shows the knowledge, writing, and language criteria for each of the written module assessments.” The Assessment Guides also include single-point rubrics for each written task and have categories for knowledge, writing, and language. Additionally, the materials include samples of on-target and advanced student responses, with annotations that explain how each response meets the rubric expectations.

  • Responsive Teaching lessons are follow-up lessons that occur after comprehension assessments and are designed to help teachers address students’ identified learning needs while maintaining access to grade-level content. These lessons provide students with opportunities to revisit assessment texts through rereading or listening, discuss missed items, deepen vocabulary knowledge, and strengthen comprehension strategies through teacher and peer support. The lessons follow a predictable structure—Read, Respond, and Engage—and include guidance from the Assessment Guide to help teachers select assessment items and skills for reteaching based on student performance. Responsive Teaching lessons are intended to support students in clarifying misunderstandings, strengthening literacy skills, and building confidence through scaffolded review and discussion, directly connected to prior assessments and module learning. The Assessment Guide for the comprehension assessments includes a section called “Planning and Teaching the Responsive Teaching Lesson,” which outlines a process for analyzing student data, identifying which items challenged students and what they need reinforced, and determining which parts of the Responsive Teaching Lesson students need. The Responsive Teaching Lessons are included at point of use in the Teach books.