El Currículo Creativo para Texas Programa PreK

Evaluation for 2.1
Materials are cross-curricular and integrated in an authentic way to support students’ unified experience throughout the day and/or unit.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Each component of this curriculum resource includes explicit connections to Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines, including the domain, skill, and outcome. The “A Look Inside” book states that the materials were “built upon Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines” (TPG). The graphic on the page shows Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines are listed directly on curriculum resources. The TPG can be located in the “week at a glance, daily guidance, mighty minutes, intentional teaching experience and book discussion cards,” as highlighted with an orange box. For example, in “Guía de enseñanza de Agua,” at the top of each week at a glance or “Investigación” is a list of TPG. The materials also list the “pautas” in the order that they appear in the TPG. Investigación 1 lists the TPG covered in the lesson as “Desarrollo social y emocional: I.A.4, I.B.2.b, I.C.1. Lenguaje y comunicación: II.A.1, II.D.1, II.E.2.” Other domains of the TPG include “Lectura de alfabetización emergente, Escritura de alfabetización emergente, Matemáticas, Ciencias, Estudios sociales, Bellas artes, Desarrollo físico de salud.” TPG are also listed in “Mega Minutos” activities. For example, Mega Minutos “Soy pegajoso” lists the objective “escucha y comprende lenguaje cada vez más complejo” and lists the TPG to meet this objective “II.A.1, II.A.2, III.B.7, III.C.I, V.D.1.” Within the “Guías de enseñanza,” the domains are purposefully developed or reinforced in each learning activity. 

The “Guías de enseñanza” provide lessons that integrate multiple developmental domains through the study of various themes, such as “cajas, jardinería, hacer música, máquinas simples, agua, ruedas y preparación para el kindergarten.” Children engage in related but varied experiences across multiple days within a common theme to support children’s abilities to build background knowledge, make connections, and explore concepts in a variety of ways. In “Guía de enseñanza de Agua,” in a lesson plan titled “Exploración del tema,” the lesson begins with activating students’ background knowledge about the topic. The first question asks students “¿Qué sabemos acerca del agua?” The next activity builds connections to what water is; the teacher then asks the “pregunta del día: ¿Cómo se siente el agua?” and allows students to touch the water. Students also explore the concept of water in a variety of ways, such as through “Actividades culinarias.” These culinary activities allow the students to make recipes that include water: “Añaden los ingredientes a la receta con agua para hacer oobleck.” Students also experience water in “Actividades al aire libre.” The teacher organizes “diferentes estaciones de juegos con agua como cubetas y esponjas para lavar juguetes, rociadores, y mangueras.” The lessons and guidance found in this teaching guide include specific, intentional, and purposeful cross-curricular connections to create a unified experience for students. 

The “Guías de enseñanza'' contain content-building information for teachers about the domains being taught or reinforced and how multiple domains are integrated or connected. In “Guías de enseñanza de Ruedas,” under the heading “Información para los maestros,” the information on the content being taught states: “el estudio de ruedas ayuda a los niños a ampliar su conocimiento de las ruedas más allá de los neumáticos en un carro o autobús y a descubrir la gran variedad de ruedas que hay en su escuela y comunidad.” In the teacher’s guide for the study of “Ruedas,” under the heading “¿Por qué investigar ruedas?” there is information for teachers about how the subjects are integrated. The information states: “El estudio de las ruedas ofrece una manera valiosa para que los niños usen la lectoescritura, las matemáticas, las artes, y la ciencia y tecnología para investigar y representar su comprensión de conceptos importantes asociados con el desarrollo físico, la ciencia y los estudios sociales.” Within the heading “Preparación para el estudio,” information is included on what materials to collect in order to integrate the “ruedas” concept during centers such as blocks, toys and games, library, sand and water, culinary, outside time, dramatic play, discovery, music and movement, and technology. The materials provide teachers with information and guidance regarding what domains are being taught and how they are integrated. 

The “Guía de enseñanza de Jardinería” is one of the themes studied that allows children to explore science, social studies, mathematics, and literacy. This study also provides opportunities for socioemotional, language, and cognitive development. Children learn about science while observing how the seed is growing. They learn social studies when taking care of the garden collaboratively with classmates and teachers and also while solving any problem that arises. The first week of every study allows the students to explore the theme. The lesson plan for this week, titled “Exploración del tema,” includes the domains being covered. These are Social and Emotional, Language and Communication, Emergent Literacy Reading, Emergent Literacy Writing, Math, Science, Social Studies, Fine Arts, Physical Development, and Technology. The questions to be explored this week are: “¿Qué sabemos acerca de la jardinería? ¿Qué queremos averiguar?” To develop the Science domain, the teacher discusses similarities in how different plants all grow from seeds: “Explique que las plantas como las flores, frutas y vegetales crecen de semillas.” The teacher integrates the Emergent Literacy Reading domain into this theme by choosing a book about plants to read aloud and ask questions about. During small groups, the teacher uses “Experiencia de enseñanza intencional” that targets the Math domain. The lessons included in the study of this theme provide the teacher opportunities to integrate multiple developmental domains. 

“Experiencias de enseñanza intencional” creates experiences that provide playful, engaging activities that integrate multiple developmental domains and can be used throughout the day. For example, in “Tendremos una aventura,” the children sing a song. Afterward, the teacher asks the children to share their ideas about what they might see on an outdoor adventure: “¿Qué creen que verían?” The teacher uses photographs to introduce unfamiliar geographic features, such as a mountain and a tunnel: “podemos encontrar una montaña o un túnel. Esta es la ilustración de un túnel. Ese túnel es tan grande que los autos pueden pasar a través de él.” The teacher introduces measurement vocabulary such as size and shape of boulders, mountains, or tunnels: “Esta es la ilustración de una roca. Una roca es una piedra muy grande.” At the end of the activity, the children recall what they did each time they encountered an obstacle, emphasizing the positional words: “Daniel, ¿puedes decirme lo que hicimos cuando llegaste al puente? ¡Así es! Nadamos debajo del puente.” This activity addresses multiple domains, including Mathematics with location words, Language and Communication when they share their ideas, Fine Arts when they sing and dramatize a story, and Physical Development when they demonstrate coordination and balance as they pretend to go exploring over mountains and through tunnels.

Evaluation for 2.2
Materials utilize high-quality texts as a core component of content and skill integration.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Each “Guía de enseñanza” includes books chosen to support content and skill development in multiple domains. An example is the book El mundo de cajas, included in the “Guía de enseñanza de Cajas.” This book is about the shapes and sizes of boxes and is used to teach skills that support the Mathematics domain. This book also connects the use of boxes with daily routines, which can be used to teach skills to support the Social Studies domain. Language development is supported through questions asked in relation to the book: “¿Puedes pensar en una caja que usaste hoy?” The Guías de enseñanza include books that support content and skill development in multiple domains.

Also included in the resource section of every Guía de enseñanza is a list of books, “Libros de literatura infantil,” that also relate directly to the content taught, support the theme, develop literacy, and extend learning across the curricular areas. The list includes informational or non-fiction books, fiction books, books about families, emotions and friendship, letters and numbers, and poetry. The Guías de enseñanza guides the teacher on ways to incorporate books from this list into the daily activities and routines. For example, the books listed are used with the theme to support content and skill development in multiple domains. Some of the books listed include La tierra y la importancia del agua, Por qué el agua vale la pena, and Agua, agua, y más agua. These non-fiction titles support skill integration in various domains, such as reading, science, and math. 

Throughout the curriculum are texts that are culturally diverse and relevant to children's linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Included texts represent people from various backgrounds, cultures, races, and ethnicities. For example, Arroz para todos represents traditions, people, and ethnicities from a variety of countries that consume rice. Un mundo de familias explores the diversity of families, their similarities and differences, including people with special needs. Casas, Muchas Casas is a book about homes in various communities and how they look different according to the part of the world where the families live. The text is also inclusive, as it mentions “no importa cómo sea la casa de una familiar, es su hogar.” The text shows a diverse group of people along with the house they live in. The materials also include original instructional songs that are set to the tune of familiar Spanish songs, making them relevant to children’s linguistic and cultural backgrounds. For example, the “Mega Minutos” resource includes activity cards that use songs, chants, rhymes, and games to make the most of small opportunities of time to support content and skill development in different domains. A Mega Minutos activity titled “Bienvenidos, amigos” is written to the tune of “Las mañanitas.” “Las mañanitas” is a traditional Spanish birthday song sung in Mexico and other Latin American countries. The activity “Moverse con diez pasitos” is written to the tune of “La Bamba.” “La Bamba is a traditional Mexican folk song originally from the state of Veracruz. The texts included throughout the curriculum are culturally diverse and relevant to children’s linguistic and cultural backgrounds. 

The Mega Minutos activity cards are written in both English and Spanish. Original instructional songs in Spanish are set to the tunes of popular Spanish songs. The following are some examples of this: “Toma un turno melodioso” written to the tune of “Feliz Navidad,” “Búsqueda de letras” written to the tune of “De Colores,” “Este largo camino” y “Recolectar preguntas” written to the tune of “Un elefante se balanceaba,” and “La mariquita se arrastra” and “Arco iris de colores” written to the tune of “Arroz con leche.” 

Texts include a mixture of translated classic and popular children’s literature and authentic texts authored in Spanish. Classic literature titles included are Caperucita roja, El hombrecito de jengibre, La gallinita roja, Los tres cabritos, and Los tres cerditos. Popular translated children's titles include Harold y el lapiz morado by Crockett Johnson, Owen by Kevin Henkes, Un beso a mi mano by Audrey Penn, Un bolsillo para Corduroy by Don Freeman, and Crisantemo by Kevin Henkes. Authentic texts authored in Spanish include Me llamo Celia by Monica Brown, No digas nada, Mamá by Joe Hayes, Desplumado by Juan Felipe Herrera, and El niño de cabeza by Adreas Molinetti.

Evaluation for 2.3
Materials support developmentally appropriate practice across all content domains.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

The “Guías de enseñanza” provide teacher guidance on the setup and facilitation of activities to meet, reinforce, or practice learning objectives. In the guides, lessons are organized into the different components of the daily routine. Each lesson includes a list of materials and resources needed for the activities and investigation of the day. For example, in “Guías de enseñanza de Cajas.” the list of recommended materials includes miniature boxes for stacking, nesting, and lining up by size and boxes from the collection made at the beginning of the study. The daily resources needed are “Mega minutos,” “Pistas crípticas,” “Charla con una gata,” “Experiencia de enseñanza intencional,” “Patrones en imágenes,” “Patrones tapados,” and the book Harold y el lapiz de color morado with la “Tarjeta: Hablemos de libros Harold y el lápiz color morado.” The Guías de enseñanza provide guidance on how to effectively implement these materials and activities to promote learning. The Guías de ensenanza include a section, “De un vistazo,” that provides an overview for each week of the theme. This overview helps the teacher with planning for the upcoming days. The information provided in De un vistazo is then further detailed into daily plans. The daily plans include teacher guidance to support and scaffold instruction to meet the needs of the children. The Guías de enseñanza provide teacher guidance on setting up and facilitating activities to help students meet, reinforce, or practice the learning objectives. 

Materials include a variety of opportunities for purposeful play that promotes student choice. The “Foundation” volume “Áreas de Interes” provides recommendations and guidance on how to set up areas of interest to provide opportunities for purposeful play that promotes student choice. The resource includes ways to connect play into each of the interest areas with objectives for development and learning. There is guidance on how to select materials and create an environment to promote play, information on what children learn in the area, and the teacher’s role while interacting with the children. The areas of interest are Blocks, Dramatic Play, Toys and Games, Art, Library, Discovery, Sand and Water, Music and Movement, Cooking, Technology, and Outdoors. Each day, the students participate in “Choice Time,” where they have the opportunity to choose an interest area to play in. During this time, the teacher can interact with students to build or extend skills. Foundations volume Áreas de interés, chapter “La función del maestro,” provides teacher guidance on how to encourage critical interactions in play. The chapter titled “El juego dramático” includes the following strategy: An effective strategy to stimulate dramatic play is for the teacher to observe what is happening and comment or ask questions about what they see. Talking about what children are doing makes them more aware that they are acting out situations. You can also make suggestions that extend the game. If a child is imitating the role of being a mom, the teacher can extend the play by incorporating related concepts such as feeding the baby or preparing dinner for the family. Through this interaction, a teacher is able to move the skill of role-playing from the beginning level to a more advanced level. The Foundation volume Áreas de interés includes information and recommendations on providing opportunities for children to engage in purposeful play that promotes student choice.

The Foundation volume “Fundamentos” includes the “Horario de día completo” that provides opportunities for students to engage in both direct instruction and student choice activities throughout the day. The schedule suggests 30 minutes for students to engage in activities of their choice as they are waiting for all students to arrive. Then 60 minutes for free choice centers later in the day. Students spend a total of 70 minutes engaging in outdoor activities of their choice. Direct instruction activities include two 15-minute sessions of “lectura en voz alta,” two 20-minute sessions of “reunión en grupos,” and two sessions of “grupos pequenos” for 20 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon. By following the schedule provided in the Foundation volume Fundamentos, students engage in both direct instruction and student choice activities. 

The Foundation volume “Matemáticas” states that integration of mathematics in children’s play provides opportunities to reason, solve problems, communicate, represent their thinking and learning in a variety of ways, and make connections between components, with other content areas, and with the real world. The “Toys and Games Area” should include materials that encourage children to explore different components of mathematics and use mathematical process skills. Open-ended materials and collectibles, such as buttons, shells, and keys, should be added to explore concepts such as counting and sorting. Materials like dice, dominoes, spinners, graphs, and numerical manipulatives should also be added to this area. The materials guide teachers in understanding that these are important symbolic mathematical materials that prepare children for later abstract thinking. Adding books with a math focus so children can read these during choice time is another teacher recommendation for the “Toys and Games Area.” Some of the books suggested include 10 minutos y a la cama by Peggy Rathmann, Botón, botón, ¿Quién tiene un botón? by Trish Holland, and Mis manos by Aliki. The materials provide examples of questions to ask while interacting with them during choice time. Example questions include “¿Cuántos patos hay ahí? ¿Estás seguro? ¿Cómo lo sabes?” The resource also suggests integrating Math into other learning areas like the Block Center through questions like, “¿Qué más podrías usar para medir tu torre?” The Foundation volume “Matemáticas” provides guidance to teachers on how to connect the math domain to play.

Evaluation for 2.4
Materials fit within a developmentally appropriate programmatic structure.

Evidence includes but is not limited to: 

“Foundation” volume “Objetivos para el desarrollo y el aprendizaje” includes specific information related to three- and four-year-old children and expectations for each age group. Progressions of development and learning are represented with color-coded tables. The color green shows the skills and learning expected for a three-year-old. The blue shows skills and learning expected in a four-year-old. The resource states: “Los colores representan las expectativas de logro generalizadas de destrezas y conocimientos por grupos de edad y clases / grado.” Materials specify if the skills are for a three- or four-year-old child and how to differentiate the instruction for students performing below or above developmental expectations. 

Foundations volume “Fundamentos” provides guidance on organizing activities depending on the length of your program day. The materials outline the activities that occur during each period. The full-day schedule accommodates a 6-hour instructional day, the extended day schedule accommodates an 11-hour instructional day, and the half-day schedule accommodates two-and-a-half to three hours. The schedules can be adapted to satisfy the needs of each program. Schedules include the same activities, such as welcoming, whole group, choice time, but the difference is found in the time allotted for each activity. The materials provide specific recommendations for using each schedule based on the program serving, full-day or half-day.

“Experiencias de enseñanza intencional” gives scaffolding suggestions, through the color coding system, to assist the teacher in providing upward and downward scaffolds. In “Experiencias de enseñanza intencional, Actividad LL03, Tarjetas de letras,” there are various scaffolds listed within the color-coded “Secuencia de enseñanza.” The activity for students at a two- or three-year-old level states: “Elija las tarjetas de una en una y muéstrales al niño. Comience con la primera letra de su nombre.” The activity for students at a three-year-old level states “Presente tres tarjetas y pida al niño que identifique la primera letra de su nombre.” The activity for students at a PreK 4 level states “Muestra 10 tarjetas del alfabeto. Hable de las mayusculas y minusculas que el niño escoja. Pídale que identifique las letras minúsculas que reconozca.” The activity for students at a Kindergarten level states “Anime al niño que explore la mitad de las tarjetas del alfabeto. Diga los sonidos de las letras con el niño al seleccionarlas. Pídale que repita los sonidos que usted haga con cada letra.” Through the color-coded scaffolds in “Experiencias de enseñanza intencional” there is clearly differentiated instruction for the level of development and student populations from age 2 through Kindergarten.

Evaluation for 2.5
Materials include detailed guidance that supports teacher’s delivery of instruction.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Within each of the “Guías de enseñanza,” the theme of the book is explored for five days during “Exploración del tema,” which happens before the “Investigación del tema” begins. This week-long exploration connects students' prior knowledge to the topic through the use of “Preguntas del día,” “Juegos,” “lecturas,” and “Experiencias al aire libre.” During “Día 1 of the Exploración del tema,” in the “Guía de enseñanza de Ruedas,” the teacher asks students what they know about wheels. The materials suggest that the teacher bring objects that roll and do not roll. Some students may be unfamiliar with a topic and need to develop background knowledge. The “Guías de enseñanza” provide teacher guidance on how to build background knowledge about the themes being studied. This guidance is found under the heading “Información para los maestros” and the “Introducción: exploración del tema.” 

In “Guías de enseñanza de Cajas,” the teacher displays a variety of two- and three-dimensional shapes of different sizes and invites the children to explore the shapes. Children gather the two-dimensional shapes into one pile and the three-dimensional shapes into another pile. The teacher asks about similarities: “¿De qué manera son iguales todas estas figuras?” The teacher records the children’s responses on a two-column chart. Then the teacher asks about differences: “Pensemos en cómo estas figuras (bidimensionales) son diferentes de esta figuras (tridimensionales). ¿Qué piensan?” The teacher introduces two-dimensional and three-dimensional objects. During choice time, the children explore and sort two- and three-dimensional shapes in the block area. During small groups, the activity from “Experiencias de enseñanza intencional: ¿En cúal figura estoy pensando?” continues the lesson about shapes and uses the three-dimensional solids from the box collection. Through opportunities for direct, guided, and child-directed instruction, students have various opportunities to engage with the content in a meaningful and playful way. 

Within the “Foundations” volume “Fundamentos” is a chapter titled “Cómo se desarrollan y aprenden los niños,” which presents an overview of the characteristics of prekindergarten students. This overview focuses on their social, physical, language, and cognitive development. The information in “El desarrollo físico” includes how students develop both in fine and gross motor skills and how research shows that physical activity helps students develop in other domains: “la actividad física regular no sólo está ligada a la mejora de la salud física general de los niños, sino también a su desarrollo social, cognitivo, emocional y fisiológico.” The resource also states that an increase in physical activity correlates to increased student achievement. Using the information in this resource helps the teacher plan and deliver instruction that aligns with how children develop and learn. 

The objectives for development and learning are one of the pillars of the materials; they include detailed guidance for student development and proficiency of content and skills. Volume “Objetivos para el desarrollo y el aprendizaje” provides visuals and research-based evidence that guide the teacher to understand the development of the whole child. These objectives define the path the teacher takes in teaching and help track children’s progress in each area of development and learning. The materials include a color-coded progression of development and learning with indicators and examples based on standard developmental and learning expectations for various age-groups and classes or grades. The colors indicate the age or class/grade ranges for these expectations. The teacher can refer to this progression when planning instruction for individual students or small group instruction. For example, in “Demonstrates knowledge of patterns,” students at the developmental stage of a preschool 3-year-old can repeat simple patterns. The student will string beads as her friend does: red, blue, red, blue. For the students at the developmental stage of a Pre-K 4-year-old, the child extends and creates simple repeating patterns. When shown a pattern of cubes, e.g., red, blue, blue, red; red, blue, blue, red; etc., the child extends it correctly. This way, the materials provide detailed and explicit guidance for teachers to support student development and proficiency of content and skills.

Evaluation for 2.6
Materials are supported by child development research on children’s development within and across all domains.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

The curriculum includes six Foundation volumes that present the theory and research used to create the resource and build teacher knowledge. Foundation volume “Fundamentos” includes the foundational research of the curriculum, the key aspects, and how to set up the program. The next four volumes, “Áreas de Interés,” “Lectoescritura,” “Matemáticas,” and “Ciencia y tecnología, Estudios sociales y artes” describe research-based strategies for guiding children’s development and learning. The last volume, “Objetivos para el desarrollo y el aprendizaje,” explains the 38 research-based objectives, addressed in every component of the curriculum, that focus on the development of the whole child. 

Each Foundation volume includes what research says about each specific content area. Within the number and operations component of the Foundation volume “Matemáticas,” the materials explain the mathematical ideas covered under counting, quantity, comparisons, order, numerals, and operations. The research states that children often do not understand mathematical words in a problem situation and require modeling with concrete objects to develop an “operation sense” (Copley & Hawkins, 2005). The materials apply this research in the activity “Experiencias de enseñanza intencional, La hora de comer” and provide explicit teacher guidance on how to apply subtraction in a real-life scenario. The research-based instructional guidance supports the math activities and enriches the teacher’s understanding of children’s development in mathematics. 

The research includes a connection to Texas and the diversity of languages spoken by children and families in many areas of the state. Foundation volume “Objetivos para el desarrollo y el aprendizaje” lists researchers with experience in second language development that contributed to the research of bilingual materials. These are “la doctora Dina Castro, la doctora Linda Espinoza, Antonia Lopez, la doctora Lisa Lopez, y la doctora Patton Tabors.” Their work and research is connected to “la comunidad hispana y el desarrollo del componente de aprendizaje de dos idiomas.” Research is based on investigations that are current and apply to Texas-specific demographics, such as Hispanic students and those who are second language learners. 

“Tarjetas: Hablemos de libros” explains that the repeated interactive read-aloud is a research-based approach to help young children develop comprehension skills and expand their listening and speaking vocabularies. High-quality storybooks need to be read at least three times to children so that they understand the complex ideas and story problems presented by the author. Each “Tarjetas: Hablemos de libros” includes what to do and focus on during the three read-alouds. The cards give guidance to the teacher on what to do before reading, while reading, and after reading for each one of the three read-alouds. Teachers using this resource can be assured that strategies were supported by child development research. 

The online Support Portal includes articles that explain how GOLD and ReadyRosie align to child development research. Two of the articles are “Information on the research behind GOLD?” and “Is Ready Rosie research-based or evidence-based?” The Ready Rosie article contains a link to “research and research-based outcomes.” The Support Portal also provides videos to support the “First Six Weeks of School” through an online professional development course that “provides research-based guidance on how to establish your environment and support the relationship that will help create a solid foundation.” 

Each of the Foundation volumes and each “Guia de enseñanza” includes an extensive bibliography related to its content.

Evaluation for 3.1
Materials include direct social skill instruction and explicit teaching of skills.

The evidence from the English materials in this report can be verified in full within the translated Spanish materials.

Evidence includes but is not limited to: 

Teachers are provided with “Intentional Teaching Experiences: Social and Emotional Cards” with full lessons on Self-Concept Skills, Self-Regulation Skills, Relationships with Others, and Social Awareness Skills, as laid out in the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines. Materials include “Teaching Guides” that instruct the teacher on modeling social skills. In the Teaching Guide “The First Six Weeks,” the teacher is presented with teaching approaches, such as modeling, to facilitate students’ social and emotional development. Teachers model expected classroom behaviors by pushing in their chairs when they get up from the table. The section states, “Model behaviors that you expect for all members of the classroom community.” 

In Social and Emotional Card 03, “The Calm Down Place,” the teacher models and creates an environment to facilitate students’ emotional and self-regulation skills. The teacher is provided guidance: “Encourage the children to talk about their feelings throughout the day in order to make them aware of what they are feeling when they are happy, anxious, frustrated, etc.” The teacher can say, “I can see you’re having a hard time waiting for your turn. It’s hard to wait. It makes you feel frustrated. Let’s take a few minutes to calm down together.” 

In Social and Emotional Card 24, teachers address conflict resolution and assertiveness by helping students use their words to solve conflicts and stand up for themselves. The teacher coaches or models in close proximity to a child who needs to learn how to use assertive language. The teacher models using a gesture that the child can use with assertive language, such as putting a hand up and saying, “Stop!” 

In Social and Emotional Card 25, “What Can We Build Together?” the teacher addresses working cooperatively together. The teacher pairs two children to build a block structure and explains how they are to take turns deciding how to build the structure. The teacher coaches the children as needed while they build and comments on their cooperative efforts. 

Materials include appropriate texts as well as subsequent “Book Cards” to support the development of social competencies. In the book A World of Families, students develop an understanding of families and how cultures are developed. The book provides examples of various families around the world, explores family structures of diverse cultural backgrounds, and points out the many ways that families around the world are similar and different.

Additionally, the materials include appropriate texts used to support the development of competencies to understand and respond to emotions. For example, in the “Gardening” Teaching Guide, the resource section includes Spanish-language or bilingual books to promote social and emotional skills. With Quiet in the Garden by Aliki, students use the skill of sitting quietly and listening as they explore a garden. The story encourages this social skill: Each small animal character visits the garden and has something to eat while the garden grows. As students sit near their own garden or outdoor space, they look and listen for natural activity that takes place. With Florian, el dragon vegetariano by Jules Bass and Debbie Harter, students analyze the characters’ differing abilities and the social situations they encounter. Florian doesn’t want to live like a traditional dragon. He tends his garden and enjoys his vegetables, and encourages other dragons to do the same. In the independent activity, students make their own stories and illustrations about Florian and other dragons. 

In Book Discussion Card 5 for Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto and Ed Martinez, the teacher focuses on the main characters’ thoughts and actions in a whole group activity and guides children’s emotional understanding through questioning. A callout box gives the teacher examples of prompts for questioning, such as “How do you know when someone you care about is sad?” and “What do you do to help them?”

Book Discussion Card 23 is for The Upside Down Boy by Juan Felipe Herrera, a book about a boy who just moved to a new town and is starting in a new school. The teacher supports emotional literacy and the development of competencies to understand and respond to emotions by commenting on the main characters’ thoughts and actions. The teacher pushes students to resonate with the main character, Juanito, by asking, “Juanito doesn’t really have friends at school. I wonder how Juanito feels when Mrs. Sampson asks him to sing in front of the class,” allowing students to understand and respond to emotions.

Evaluation for 3.2
Materials include repeated opportunities for students to practice social skills throughout the day.

The evidence from the English materials in this report can be verified in full within the translated Spanish materials.

Evidence includes but is not limited to: 

The materials provide daily opportunities for students to practice working together in large groups, small groups, collaborative centers, and through outdoor play experiences. The materials in the “Teacher Guides” present educators with lessons and activities that build on multiple concepts simultaneously. 

The first Teaching Guide, “The First Six Weeks: Building Your Classroom Community,” provides guidance and support on how to develop responsive, interpersonal relationships and social skills. The section “Social and Emotional Development: The Foundation for all Learning” provides the educator with strategies that can be utilized daily to support students’ opportunities to learn, practice, and apply social skills throughout the day. The teacher models self-talk to identify and explain the emotions she is feeling. The student models the teacher’s behavior by picking up materials during transitions in an effort to care for the classroom community. Throughout each day, the teacher models appropriate behaviors expected by all in the classroom community. The guide includes questions that guide the teacher’s observations of students’ social skills. For example, “How well do children recognize their names?” During “Choice Time,” where students choose their own interest area, the material guides teachers in asking probing questions as they interact with each child; for example, “Observe children for signs of distress when talking about new experiences.” The materials also provide guidance on how the teacher can comfort and calm students when they are upset due to separating from a caregiver. The examples provide the educator with explicit language to utilize in order to validate and identify the student’s feelings, reassure them, and soothe them. For example, “Travis, I know it’s hard to say good-bye to mom and you’re feeling upset. May I hold your hand?”

The materials provide 39 opportunities and activities for students to develop, learn, and practice social skills using the “Intentional Teaching Experience Cards” (“Social and Emotional”). These cards provide materials and guidance on how to authentically facilitate students’ social and emotional development throughout the instructional day. 

Social and Emotional Card 03, “The Calm Down Place,” provides the educator with direction and guidance on how to create a calm-down center as well as strategies for de-escalating a student’s behavior when they are upset. 

Social and Emotional Card 26, “Making a Mural,” gives the opportunity for children to work side by side, in pairs or small groups, and build confidence in social situations by making a mural with a specific focus. As the mural is created, the teacher asks each child to point out his classmates’ creations. 

Social and Emotional Card 10, “My Turn at the Microphone,” is a “Circle Time” activity where students sit facing a microphone. The teacher explains that each student will get a chance to speak into the microphone. The teacher asks open-ended questions, such as “What do you like to do after school each day?” The students practice taking turns and listening skills in a group setting. 

Mathematics Intentional Teaching Experience Card 88 is “Shape Bingo.” Students take turns reaching into a bag for a shape and placing their shape on the appropriate spot on the card. Social and emotional skill development is embedded when a child is guided to count the number of students in a play area and say, for example, “There are already five students playing there, so I will wait.” 

In the “Wheels” unit, the lesson incorporates math concepts, shared writing experiences, and opportunities to develop and learn social skills. The teacher references the question of the day, “What kind of wheel can you draw?” Students create and draw their interpretations of wheels through a shared writing experience. The teacher introduces and defines the vocabulary words same, different, and round. The students take turns sharing and describing the elements of their drawings of wheels. The teacher creates a T-chart and labels one side same and one side different. The students identify the similarities and differences between the wheels drawn and between images of wheels (e.g., colors, sizes, holes in the middle).

Mathematics Card 81 is “Sink or Float.” Students work together to determine if objects sink or float and place them in the correct tray after testing them.

The “Music Making” Teaching Guide, Day 2, has an example of the teacher introducing a visitor and describing the instrument the visitor plays. The visitor demonstrates how to play the instrument and how it produces sound. Children ask questions. In an activity, students are introduced to rhythm sticks as well as rhythm and tempo. They are taught how to hold sticks in a resting position, practicing self-regulation by controlling the impulse to hit the sticks together. 

The materials do not present any information or guidance on posters to assist students’ practice and acquisition of social skills and routines. The materials do not present information on utilizing puppets or concrete items and materials to develop students’ understanding of emotions.

Evaluation for 3.3
Materials include ideal classroom arrangements that support positive social interactions.

The evidence from the English materials in this report can be verified in full within the translated Spanish materials.

Evidence includes but is not limited to: 

Most of the evidence relevant to classroom arrangement is located in Volume 1 and Volume 2 of the “Foundation” resource. The “Learning Environment” chapter summarizes how the teacher should set up the learning environment. Sections in this document include the following: “establish traffic patterns, clearly define areas that need protection, locate interest areas that are relatively quiet, decide which areas need tables and chairs, think about activities that are affected by floor coverings, place interest areas near needed resources, reserve areas that need a lot of light, organize the room so you can see as much as possible, guidelines for setting up interest areas.” This document ensures students have defined areas while simultaneously facilitating opportunities for students to explore their interests, work independently, work collaboratively, and congregate for large group activities. Visual examples of a set-up classroom help support the teacher’s implementation, ensuring an effective classroom arrangement. Suggestions in this document consider a variety of factors and components of the physical space and their impact on students’ social development. For example, the teacher should clearly define areas that need protection by using walls or shelves. Another simple but good rule to follow in the beginning is “Less is better.” Too many materials can overwhelm children. Finally, locating a library or writing center near windows incorporates the use of natural lighting. 

Foundation also presents information on the 10 “Interest Areas” that should be included in a classroom: “blocks, dramatic play, toys and games, art, library, discovery, sand and water, music and movement, cooking, and technology.” First, the document explains the importance of each interest area as it relates to social skill development. For example, in the “Block Area,” children “negotiate using materials, determine how many can play comfortably, care for materials, and follow rules for building safely.” In “Dramatic Play,” children do things like replay “scenes of a mother leaving her child to go to work.” This provides opportunities for children to regulate and manage their own emotions, behaviors, and feelings. Each interest area has its own “Interest Areas Guide” that provides detailed, research-based guidance for setting up the area in a preschool classroom. Photos help the teacher understand what materials to include and how to arrange them. These guides provide very specific information for setting up each area and ensuring materials are age and developmentally appropriate. For example, the “Block Interest Area Guide” contains a blueprint of the types of blocks that should be included, and the “Toys and Games Area Guide” states that “puzzles should include 4-10 knobbed piece puzzles, scaffolding up to 10-20 piece puzzles without knobs.” These detailed directions ensure students have the opportunity to practice social skills through daily learning centers. 

The teacher is provided information on organizing materials, using labels, and integrating personal pictures to show children that everything has a place. Each center should be labeled with an image of the material as well as lowercase text to support language development and placement of items. This also directs students toward storage areas (child accessible) and away from secure areas (not child accessible). By labeling materials and their locations, students can use the provided consistency to develop social skills. This gives them the opportunity to care for classroom materials, organize materials, and navigate student-student interaction. During the beginning of the year, students also bring in personal pictures to differentiate between student areas and teacher areas. This practice also promotes student ownership of space by integrating the students’ identity into the classroom.

Utilizing the section “Building Your Classroom Community,” the teacher introduces learning centers to students. Teachers lead a tour through the classroom and label each interest area with the students. As they tour, the teacher describes the types of activities completed within each area and allows students to put up labels. After the classroom tour, the teacher discusses classroom rules with students. Student-generated rules are recorded on a piece of paper; the teacher writes, re-states, and provides an example of each rule before leading a discussion. These practices support student ownership of the classroom because students “create their own” rules for the classroom and have a say in the classroom environment.

Evaluation for 3.4
Materials include activities to develop physical skill and refine motor development through movement.

The evidence from the English materials in this report can be verified in full within the translated Spanish materials.

Evidence includes but is not limited to: 

The document “Intentional Teaching Experiences: Physical Cards” is the main resource where teachers can choose physical activities and movement-based activities. There are numerous activities that allow students to target gross motor skills through large groups, small groups, choice time, and outdoor activities. A selection of “Mighty Minutes Cards” related to movement skills is also included in each theme. Between these two resources, there are over 100 activities that promote the development of gross and fine motor skills.

The document titled “Foundation” also has a section relevant to this indicator: Volume 6, “Objectives for Development and Learning, Birth Through Third Grade.” This resource provides information and guidance on the “Physical Learning Targets” and “Physical Curriculum Objectives” 4 through 7; these objectives include traveling skills, balancing skills, gross motor manipulative skills, and fine motor strength and coordination skills. This document also includes the rationale behind the implementation of physical movement: “Regular physical activity is linked not only to improvement in children’s overall physical health, but also in the social, cognitive, emotional, and physiological development.” In all, there are 46 strategies that can be utilized to support students’ development of gross motor skills. 

“Catching with a Scoop” is a game found in the Physical Cards. In this game, the teacher begins by modeling how to hold a scoop with one hand and a beanbag with the other. The teacher says, “Watch how I toss the beanbag straight into the air,” and demonstrates how to safely toss the bean bag using an underhand grip. As the beanbag comes back down, the teacher demonstrates how to catch the beanbag. Students take turns throwing their bean bag up in the air and catching it with their scoop. Another example of gross motor development is the “Up and Away” activity. In the “Outdoor Area,” students spread out with plenty of space in between each other. The teacher then demonstrates how to throw underhand: “I’m going to show you how to throw the ball underhand. First, I’ll check to make sure no one is standing nearby.” Rules for safety are clarified, and then the teacher demonstrates how to keep the throwing arm straight by one’s side. The teacher then asks the children to step forward using the foot opposite to their throwing hand and release the ball towards the basket that has been placed in front of them. The teacher demonstrates this repeatedly throughout the whole process while explaining the step-by-step directions.

While most fine motor activities are located in the Mighty Minutes Cards, a number of them are covered in the Physical Cards. For example, “Let’s Sew” targets Objective 7: “Demonstrates fine-motor strength and coordination.” In this activity, students learn to sew using various materials. First, the teacher demonstrates how to use a toothpick with yarn taped to it to “sew” a piece of hole-punched construction paper. Students use the small muscles of their hand to navigate their toothpick through the holes in the paper, “sewing” with the yarn. Other fine motor activities include using scissors, tongs, and puzzle pieces.

In Mighty Minutes activity 12, students also develop gross physical skills through movement. “Let’s Do a Hand Dance” integrates movement through dance and music. In this example, the teacher plays upbeat music and demonstrates a pattern of hand movements. Students try to remember and repeat the pattern. “Flexing Fingers” is a Mighty Minutes finger-play song in which students develop fine motor skills. In this activity, the children warm up their fingers to prepare to use them during the song. As the teacher leads the children through the song, the teacher demonstrates how to flex each finger when the part of the song calls for it. The teacher then models additional movements, such as moving fingers back and forth as each finger is named. Mighty Minutes and Physical Cards are two resources that provide daily opportunities for both gross and fine motor skill development.

Evaluation for 3.5
Materials include activities that develop safe and healthy habits in students.

The evidence from the English materials in this report can be verified in full within the translated Spanish materials.

Evidence includes but is not limited to: 

The teacher can access guidance as well as information concerning how to model safe and healthy habits for students via the “Physical” and “Social and Emotional” “Intentional Teaching Experiences Cards,” “Mighty Minutes,” and select sections and lessons in the “Teaching Guides.” A strategy page located in “Foundation,” Volume 6, has specific strategies to guide the teacher in addressing both physical and mental health. The Intentional Teaching Experience activity “Take a Breath” allows the children to practice deep breathing. The teacher should “model taking deep breaths counting to 5, or doing relaxation exercises when situations are stressful.” Afterward, the teacher explains how this action helps students manage their feelings and relax when angry or upset. In Intentional Teaching Experience “Up and Away,” the teacher models throwing a ball underhand as well as using safety while throwing balls near others. The students respond by throwing the ball while keeping the safety rules in mind. Another example of modeling physical safety habits is the activity “Cutting with Scissors.” Students use scissors while the teacher describes safe practice, saying, “When I cut, I go slowly so that I can make sure all my fingers are out of the way.” The students respond by cutting the lines drawn on their paper very slowly. 

Foundation, Volume 6, “Objectives for Development and Learning,” states, “The ability to be physically active influences social well-being and mental health. The more children can do physically the more willing they are to interact with other children and try new and challenging physical tasks (Kim, 2005). This establishes a positive cycle that affects overall learning and health.” This is very clear and direct information for the teacher to understand the connection between physical and mental health.

Additionally, the “Intentional Teaching Experiences Social and Emotional Guide” combines research with developmentally appropriate strategies for creating a sound mental-health-and-physical-development connection. In the activity “Big Rule, Little Rule,” the teacher leads the children in a discussion of classroom rules that include maintaining physical safety. The teacher leads a discussion on being kind by using a quiet voice indoors and touching people gently. More evidence pertaining to physical skills and mental health can be found in the resource section of Foundation, Volume 1. For example, the publication “A Good Beginning: Sending America’s Children to School With the Social and Emotional Confidence They Need to Succeed” states that “regular physical activity is linked to not only children’s overall physical health, but also in their social, cognitive, emotional and physiological development.”

In the “Teaching Guide,” “Building Your Classroom Community,” the teacher has access to activities that create opportunities for students to learn safety habits that can be practiced in both indoor and outdoor learning environments. The teacher takes students to the outdoor playground and introduces areas within the playground. Throughout this tour, the teacher explains and engages students in a discussion about the safety rules for each area. The students practice following the safety rules on the playground, in one case, by keeping the tricycles on the bike path. Physical and fine motor activities contain safety guidance for handling the necessary tools and resources for each activity. In the activity “Let’s Sew,” the teacher discusses the potential danger of a “needle” (in this case, a toothpick) and models how to handle one without injuring oneself. The lesson includes various guidance steps to help children, depending on their varied abilities. Children sew by taping a toothpick to the end of a piece of yarn; if the child is unable to hold the toothpick correctly, then the teacher may substitute shoelaces in its place. 

With the Mighty Minutes Card “Yes, I Can!” students have the opportunity to reflect upon and discuss how they helped care for the classroom throughout the day. The card provides the teacher with dialogue support to help facilitate conversation and reflection. Additionally, the Social and Emotional Card SE09 provides teacher guidance on how to lead a lesson allowing students to take part in developing the classroom community and safety rules. The educator leads a discussion with students about potential challenges in the classroom. Then, students brainstorm and discuss safety and classroom rules that could be used or implemented to prevent harm in the classroom. This resource allows for the successful practice of and reflection on safe habits in the classroom. 

Other health and safety considerations are located in the “Interest Areas,” Volume 2. Safety considerations discussed for cooking activities include making sure that the outlets are not overloaded; those not in use should have safety caps. Sharp knives, blenders, and graters should be properly stored and out of children’s reach. The teacher is required to abide by health safety rules, making sure all food is properly prepared to avoid foodborne illnesses. Additionally, playground activity safety guidance is offered: “Be vigilant about the type of clothing children may be wearing before getting on playground equipment. Loose clothing easily gets caught on playground equipment.” Guidance for inspecting playground equipment before allowing children to use it is also highlighted in the manual.

Evaluation for 4.1
Materials provide guidance on developing students’ listening skills.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

The lessons in the “Guías de enseñanza” provide repeated opportunities to develop listening skills; however, no teacher guidance is provided on how to model these skills for understanding. The “Guía de enseñanza para las primeras seis semanas” provides opportunities for students to hear conversations that follow conversational norms. In the lesson “Reunión final,” students participate in a conversation where the teacher asks questions relevant to the reading, such as “En su familia, ¿cómo se muestran amor?” The materials prompt the teacher to continue the conversation by listening and commenting on the children’s answers. The guide provides opportunities for students to hear conversations that follow conversational norms. 

In Foundation Volume “Lectoescritura,” the materials provide guidance and modeling on how the teacher uses conversations, songs, and games to promote children’s oral language and literacy learning.  It also guides the teacher on what to do and notice during those conversations. For example, the student shows the teacher a picture. The teacher recognizes that the child is using a photo to convey a message. The teacher then makes a comment about the photo and asks an open-ended question to prompt a conversation. The student answers, “Es un niño y se llama Jeremiah.” The teacher makes a relevant comment and asks a question to keep the conversation going by stating, “Parece que estuviera sonriendo. ¿Es un bebé feliz?” The conversation continues with examples, guidance, and modeling for the teacher to use during the day.  The materials provide the teacher guidance and support students’ use and understanding of oral language.

The materials support daily opportunities for students to listen for understanding. In “Experiencias de enseñanza intencional: Lenguaje y lectoescritura,” “Relatos dramatizados,” the teacher selects a story that is familiar to the students from a previous reading. Students’ listening comprehension is assessed as they begin to retell the story, “Antes de empezar, piensa en las partes importantes del cuento que no quieres dejar fuera.” When the student is ready, the teacher is able to add visuals and props to enhance storytelling. The props are kept in the Library Center to promote further retelling. By retelling stories, students are able to demonstrate their listening comprehension of a story read previously.

“Experiencias de enseñanza intencional” gives students opportunities to hear appropriate sentence structure and grammar across daily settings and throughout the theme. For example, during small groups, the teacher uses “Separar y Clasificar” and explains, “Tenemos una canasta llena de pelotas. Pensemos en cómo podemos clasificarlas. Empezaremos colocando las pelotas rojas en esta caja y las que no sean rojas en esta otra.” This activity gives students the opportunity to hear appropriate sentence structure and grammar as they discuss the characteristics of sorting the balls with their teacher.

The “Foundation” volume “Áreas de interés” guides teachers to provide opportunities for students to hear and engage in conversations. The section focusing on the Dramatic Play Area provides teachers examples of how to purposefully plan play experiences and how to respond to students during play to foster listening skills and conversation. A scenario described states that if a student puts a dress on the ironing board and says I’m getting ready for a party, the teacher should reflect on how to extend the play scenario and the conversation. The teacher could ask questions, such as “¿Estás invitando a una fiesta? Apuesto que a Sonia le gustaría venir a la fiesta. Mira ella se está probando un vestido.” Through this extension, the teacher is able to continue a conversation with a student and at the same time invite another student to the play scenario. 

The introduction of “Tarjetas: Hablemos de libros'' states that a read-aloud book should be read at least three times to promote students' understanding of complex ideas and the plot of the story. During each reading, the teacher focuses on something different, such as vocabulary, conflict, or main characters. Student comprehension develops through multiple opportunities to listen to the story along with questions and activities that deepen their understanding of the text. “Tarjetas: Hablemos de libros 1-5” guides teachers on how to facilitate read-alouds using any book. “Tarjetas: Hablemos de libros, Las aventuras de Gary y Harry,” “Primera lectura en voz alta,” students listen to the story, and the teacher asks questions to check for understanding. “Harry parece estar sorprendido y asustado. ¿Qué estará pasando?” During the second whole group read-aloud, the book discussion card guides the teacher to ask questions about the characters to help students understand the characters’ behavior, thoughts, and feelings. “Cuáles son algunos de los otros animales que viven en el océano con Gary y Harry?” “¿Qué están pensando Patricia Pulpo y Lali Langosta cuando Gary y Harry vienen a visitarlos?” “Tarjetas: Hablemos de libros, Tercera lectura en voz alta” states “...mantenga el enfoque en las narraciones de los niños. Haga las preguntas después de la lectura y ayude a los niños a escuchar las respuestas de los demás.” “Me pregunto cómo se siente Harry después de que Gary lo salva. ¿Cómo te sientes tú cuando un amigo te ayuda?” “¿Qué clase de aventuras tiene usted con sus amigos?” The teacher asks questions during the read-aloud. Students are able to demonstrate listening for understanding by responding to the questions and by listening to what other students are saying. 

In “Mega Minutos,” “Soy pegajoso,” the teacher encourages children to pretend that they are sticky. The teacher says, “Somos tan pegajosos! Nuestros brazos son pegajosos, nuestras cabezas son pegajosas, incluso nuestras piernas son pegajosas!” The teacher then prompts the children to stick to something that is brown, or someone who has the same color shirt. Listening prompts can be varied, such as “Peguense a algo que tenga cuatro esquinas, o peguense a alguien que sea más alto que ustedes.” This listening game contains multi-step directions, which provides daily opportunities for students to listen for understanding.

Evaluation for 4.2
Materials provide guidance on developing students’ speaking skills.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

“Foundation” volume “Fundamentos” includes a section explaining how teachers impact students’ language development: “Los maestros tienen la importante función de ayudar a los niños a desarrollar destrezas de lenguaje sólido. Ellos influyen en el desarrollo del lenguaje mediante el vocabulario que usan, la forma en que disponen el entorno y las clase de experiencias que proporcionan.” Fundamentos also includes recommendations to facilitate authentic conversations throughout the day. To encourage conversations, the resource recommends considering meal times as social events where students interact with one another. A peaceful and pleasant atmosphere during meal times is ideal to have informal conversations with students. The materials state: “Logre que la hora de comer sea un evento social. Genere una atmósfera apacible y agradable...Un ambiente relajado a la hora de comer resulta ideal para tener conversaciones individuales informales con los niños.” 

Foundation volume “Lectoescritura” provides guidance in setting up the physical space to promote language and literacy, including how to organize the space to facilitate conversations. The guidance states: “Divida el espacio en áreas de interés que tengan privacidad y que faciliten las conversaciones. Arregle los muebles de forma que su ubicación facilite la interacción social, (p. ej., dos sillas delante de la computadora o caballetes ubicados uno junto al otro).” The materials recommend setting up learning centers as “Discovery Centers.” In these centers, the teacher interacts with children to promote language skills by providing open-ended questions to encourage students to use the content vocabulary and allow for conversations around their new knowledge. Examples of questions are “¿Cómo ha cambiado esta hoja desde que estaba en el árbol?” “¿Cómo creen que puedo usar estos materiales para mover esta canica de diferentes maneras?” “Dime cómo crees que funcionaba este reloj.” Lectoescritura also encourages the teacher to expand on the students’ language by adding new words to what they say. The materials state: “Amplíe su lenguaje agregando palabras nuevas a lo que digan. Use las palabras de ellos y agregue otras.”

Foundation volume “Objetivos para el desarrollo y el aprendizaje” includes a developmental chart of children’s language skills in the areas of speaking, vocabulary, and the usage of conventional grammar. This chart includes examples of sentence structure and grammar used by typical pre-K students. For example, a pre-K child uses complete four- to six-word sentences such as “Yo compré dos libros” and “Mami y yo fuimos a casa.” Teachers introduce students to conversation norms by organizing students into groups of 4 or more, suggesting a topic for them to discuss, and allowing students to take turns to say something. After some time, students will take a turn to speak as they detect a pause in the conversation. Teachers are also encouraged to extend students' sentences and provide corrective feedback. The materials state: “Cuando el niño diga, “Esto es difícil,” diga, “Sí, esta tarea es un poco difícil.”

“Experiencias de enseñanza intencional” include a variety of teaching strategies that provide opportunities for students to practice language skills in a variety of contexts, including small groups, large groups, and learning centers. For example, to encourage children to verbalize and share their ideas, the teacher asks the students open-ended questions. The materials state: “¿Por qué crees que el niño del cuento tenía miedo de quedarse a dormir en la casa de su amigo?” To encourage predictions, the teacher asks the students questions about what they think will happen next. The materials state: “¿Qué crees que pasará si sigues agregándole bloques a tu torre?” To encourage abstract thinking, the teacher asks the students “What if” questions. The materials state: “¿Qué pasaría si no hubiera carros, camiones, autobuses, aviones ni barcos? ¿Cómo viajaríamos?” 

“Experiencias de enseñanza intencional” offer teachers opportunities for students to participate in book discussions. The teacher invites students to participate in a discussion on books and the things they like about certain books and authors by asking the following questions: “¿Qué libros leemos una y otra vez? ¿Por qué nos gustan esos libros?” The material guides the teacher to ask open-ended questions to students and provides the following examples: “Me doy cuenta de que el autor siempre tiene una portada azul en sus libros. ¿Notan alguna otra cosa que sea similar? ¿Notan algo que sea semejante en ambos libros sobre los colores utilizados, el fondo o los personajes del cuento?” Students indicate what the books have in common. These questions facilitate students as they engage in conversation about books written by the same author. “Experiencia de enseñanza intencional, Mi turno al micrófono, SE10” supports students engaging in a discussion following conversational norms by using a microphone to focus on turn taking. The material states: “ La persona que tiene el micrófono es la única que habla; los demás debemos escuchar. Ustedes sabrán que es su turno para hablar, cuando tengan el micrófono en la mano.” 

“Guías de enseñanza para Cajas” recommends the teacher engage children in informal conversations during their arrival to school. The teacher should interact with children to facilitate language learning with open-ended questions during large group time. During a lesson about tools that can help you move boxes, the teacher can lead a discussion with question like “¿Cómo crees que podemos usarlo [handtruck] para ayudarnos a mover esta caja pesada?” During choice time, the teacher talks with children and asks open-ended questions: “He notado que en tu dibujo tienes una caja transportándose en un camión. ¿Cómo colocarías una caja pesada en un camión si tuvieras que hacerlo?” 

In a “Mega Minutos” whole group lesson, the teacher draws an abstract image on the board and asks students what that image could be. Students talk about what the image could be. After discussing the first image, the teacher draws another abstract image, and students continue talking about the images. Students can add another line or detail to the abstract image to look more like the thing they are thinking. As they are discussing the images, the students practice using appropriate sentence structure.

Evaluation for 4.3
Materials support expanding student vocabulary.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

“Foundation” volume “Fundamentos,” “Reforzar el vocabulario en inglés,” supports vocabulary development for children that are learning English as a second language. The resource states that working in small groups is a perfect time to reinforce vocabulary that was presented during large group lessons or activities because students who are learning English are more likely to take the risk of speaking and not be intimidated in this smaller setting. The materials suggest that the teacher use pictures, real objects, and gestures to offer context to new vocabulary or concepts. 

Foundation volume “Objetivos para el desarrollo y el aprendizaje,” “Escucha y comprende lenguaje cada vez más complejo, Estrategias” includes strategies to use in the classroom that help children build vocabulary in a developmentally appropriate manner. The materials suggest speaking to the students often, using rich language to describe objects, events, and people in the environment. The materials also suggest pairing students who speak the same language and pairing students who speak different languages so that they can support each other. 

“Experiencias de enseñanza intencional” cards include guidance for the teacher on how to incorporate new vocabulary throughout the day and how to leverage students’ prior knowledge in one language to build vocabulary in the new language. The card “Introducir vocabulario nuevo” guides the teacher on how to introduce new vocabulary and how to incorporate it during the day. In the lesson, the teacher introduces the word “terrario” in child-friendly language by stating, “Ahora tenemos una tortuga como mascota de nuestra clase, traje una caja especial para que viva allí. Esta caja se llama terrario. Un terrario es una caja cerrada donde viven plantas y animales. Los lados son de vidrio para que podamos ver lo que hay adentro.” After the teacher introduces the new vocabulary, he/she incorporates it into the daily activities so that the students can get accustomed to hearing the word. Eventually, the teacher asks the students to recall the vocabulary, its meaning, and how to use it. 

“Experiencias de enseñanza intencional” “Niños que aprenden inglés como una nueva lengua” suggests using a student's prior knowledge in his/her first language to learn the vocabulary in English. When a child is learning English and asks for the name of an object, ask them to tell you the name of that object in their first language. A child is then able to connect the understanding he/she has in his/her first language to the new word. It also suggests using images or pointing to pictures that explain the meaning of unfamiliar words. In the card titled “Observar la Vida de los insectos,” the teacher incorporates new vocabulary words relevant to the insect theme. The section “Niños que aprenden inglés como una nueva lengua” guides the teacher to name the insects in the first language of the student and use gestures and actions to explain the activity. Cognates should be used if applicable: “Hable sobre los cognados, palabras que suenan parecido en inglés y en la lengua materna de los niños. Por ejemplo, insect en inglés e insecto en español suenan parecido y mosquito es igual en ambos idiomas. Proporcione tarjetas de palabras con vocabulario relacionado y dibujos en inglés y en la lengua materna.” 

The “Guía de enseñanza de Máquinas simples” guides the teacher to expand vocabulary by having students make connections to prior learning and experiences during the read-aloud. The materials state: “El zorrillo se desliza por un tobogán. ¿Recuerdas cuando hicimos toboganes con los bloques ayer?” This suggestion supports expanding student vocabulary by connecting new vocabulary to experiences students have had. In another activity, the “Guía de enseñanza de Máquinas simples” includes the following vocabulary: “Español: pinzas de cocina; Inglés: tongs.” During one of the daily routines titled “La pregunta del día,” a question is provided to engage students in a discussion focusing on the new vocabulary. The guidance states: “¿Cuál de estos objetos es una palanca?” The students discuss the difference between “tongs” and an object that is not a lever. After the activity, the students have the opportunity to use the new vocabulary as they use the tongs for different purposes. Also included in this theme are suggestions to use cognates to help build vocabulary in both languages. During one of the activities, the students are introduced to the vocabulary word “manual.” The teacher points out the similarities between the word in English and its cognate in Spanish. 

“Vocabulario” is one of the components of “Tarjetas: Hablemos de libros.” The materials follow a progression of vocabulary development that is age and sequentially appropriate. The introduction of each book discussion includes between five and seven words for the teacher to highlight. The materials guide the teacher on how to introduce the vocabulary in a variety of ways: “Señale una ilustración o parte de una ilustración que demuestre el significado de la palabra; demuestre el significado de las palabras usando expresiones faciales, movimientos y otro lenguaje corporal; por ejemplo, con un ritmo de golpecitos mientras lee la frase: ‘golpeteaba un ritmo en la ventanilla del camión;’ de una definición breve de la palabra cuando la lee en el texto: por ejemplo, Encogerse. Eso significa hacerse cada vez más pequeño.”

Evaluation for 4.4
Materials include appropriate strategies for supporting students’ biliteracy development.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

The materials include strategies for teachers to support the development of Spanish and English proficiency in "Guias de enseñanza.” “Guía de enseñanza de las primeras seis semanas,” “Para incluir a todos los niños,” provides strategies used during a read-aloud that help children learn English as a second language. When possible, the teacher should use non-verbal cues, such as pointing to the text and illustrations, while reading aloud. Another strategy recommends that teachers read aloud each book three times. Each reading allows students to hear and become familiar with new words as well as increase their comprehension of the text. The guide includes think-aloud questions for use during each book reading. Questions included for the book Charlie Anderson by Barbara Abercrombie are: “¿Por qué Charlie se va de la casa y deja a Elizabeth y Sarah cada mañana? ¿Cómo creen ustedes que Charlie Anderson se siente al tener dos casas?” The think-alouds include: “Me pregunto qué salía hacer Charlie en la noche antes de conocer a Sarah y a Elizabeth.” During the read-aloud, the teacher interacts with children by having conversations about the book. For English learners needing support, the guide suggests working in small groups where students can discuss the book further and answer simple questions about the text. The use of these strategies promotes and supports children to develop their Spanish and English language proficiency.

The “Guía de enseñanza de Jardinería” includes guidance for leveraging students’ prior knowledge in their first language to support the development of a second language. The section “Niños que aprenden una segunda lengua” recommends providing counting books in the child’s first language. The materials suggest the teacher consider learning the names of the numbers one to ten in the second language. The teacher can also hold up the number of fingers that correspond to the number counted to help students as they count. The children use their prior knowledge of counting in their first language to support their counting in English. The materials guide the teacher on using children 's prior knowledge as an advantage while learning English. 

The “Foundations” volume, “Lectoescritura” includes recommendations to guide students in making cross-linguistic connections. For example, in “Ayuda con el lenguaje oral,” the teacher reviews cognates and provides background information on how they support language acquisition. The resource states: “Por ejemplo, en el área de los bloques, haga notar que construcción en inglés y construcción en español suenan muy similares. Cuando hable sobre las formas, mencione que circle en inglés y círculo en español suenan casi igual.” Through the information presented in “Ayudas con el lenguaje oral,” the resource builds background knowledge and supports the the teacher as cross-linguistic strategies are used in lessons. 

“Experiencias de enseñanza intencional” are a series of cards that include activities and strategies that support students in developing Spanish and English language proficiency. In the activity, “Te voy a contar un cuento, El mitón,” the teacher reads the book El mitón by Jan Brett and asks open-ended questions to start conversations. The guidance states: “¿Qué ocurría cada vez que un animal entraba al mitón? ¿Por qué creen que los animales terminaron fuera del mitón cuando el oso estornudó?” Asking open-ended questions allows the students to speak in longer phrases and practice newly acquired vocabulary. The activity “¿Me lees?” suggests that the teacher ask the students to retell the story in their first language using props. It also suggests that the teacher read the story in the students’ first language in a small group setting. If the story is long, the materials recommend dividing the story into two or more sessions. The “Guía de enseñanza de las primeras seis semanas” includes a read-aloud Anansi y sus hijos. During the read-aloud, the teacher introduces new vocabulary words. The book discussion card of this read-aloud includes the section “Para incluir a todos los niños,” which provides techniques that help children develop their English language proficiency. When reading the book in English, include non-verbal cues, such as pointing to words and illustrations, along with your spoken communication. These techniques are useful for children learning English and are beginning to understand the meanings of new words. These activities support the students in developing Spanish and English language proficiency. 

“Experiencias de enseñanza intencional” also offers opportunities for students to make cross-linguistic connections. In the activity “Libros del alfabeto,” the teacher reads an ABC book, such as Chica Chica Bum Bum, Construimos de la A a la Z, or Gathering the Sun. The students have the opportunity to make cross-linguistic connections as the teacher connects the letters she reads to the children’s names. “Veamos las letras del título. Esta es una letra redondeada. Es una C, igual que la primera letra de tu nombre, Carolina.” The section “Niños que aprenden inglés como una nueva lengua” suggests that the teacher address the students by their name so that they know the teacher is speaking to them. When the teacher sees that they are listening, she/he asks them to use their second language to communicate. The teacher then compares the names and sounds of the letters in English with those of their first language. These activities provide opportunities for students to make cross-linguistic connections. 

Another opportunity for students to make cross-linguistic connections can be found in the activity “Introducir vocabulario nuevo,” where the teacher incorporates the new vocabulary words throughout the day. The section “Niños que aprenden inglés como una nueva lengua” suggests that the teacher use images or point to objects that explain the meaning of unknown words. Guidance for teachers suggests that teachers should ask students for the name of the object in their native language first, to ensure that they know it first in their native language, and then state the name of the object in English. During small group time, the teacher can reinforce and practice new vocabulary by drawing, showing real objects, or visuals to help with comprehension of new vocabulary. By engaging in these activities, children have the opportunity to make cross-linguistic connections as they acquire the English language.

Evaluation for 5.1
Materials provide opportunities for students to develop oral language skills, including through authentic text conversations.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

The “Guías de enseñanza” provide opportunities for children to develop oral language skills through discussions by encouraging students to ask questions about texts being read. In “Guía de enseñanza de Jardinería,” in the section “Lectura en voz alta,” teachers read a non-fiction book from “Libros de literatura infantil.” Teachers read, pause, and encourage children to ask questions about the text. A similar opportunity is found in “Guía de enseñanza de Haciendo música.” In the section “Lectura en voz alta,” teachers read a book from “Libros de literatura infantil” about different ways people play instruments. Teachers read and pause to make and respond to questions that children have about musical instruments. Children have the opportunity to engage in discussion to understand texts about music. The “Guías de enseñanza” provide opportunities for children to develop oral language skills by engaging in discussions and asking questions about books. 

The Foundations book “Areas de interés” provides guidance to teachers on setting up learning centers where children can develop oral language skills by working collaboratively. In the learning centers, children have the opportunity to work with other children. In the dramatic play center, children use their language to express what they are doing, and they ask and respond to questions. The resource elaborates on the development of oral language through play by stating “Al participar con otros en el juego dramático, los niños utilizan el lenguaje para explicar lo que están haciendo.” Learning centers allow children to develop their oral language skills by playing with their friends. 

The “Tarjetas: Hablemos de libros” provide regular and varied opportunities for children to build oral language through authentic discussions related to texts read aloud. The “Tarjetas” for each book allow students to respond to various questions before, during, and after listening to the story. Various opportunities to build oral language through discussions occur across the span of several days during the “Primera lectura en voz alta, Segunda lectura en voz alta, y Tercera lectura en voz alta.” For example, the “Tarjetas: Hablemos de libros, Don’t say a Word, Mamá/No digas nada, Mamá,” includes think-alouds and well-planned questions to facilitate the discussion about the text being read. Questions include “¿Por qué creen que ninguna de las dos hermanas quería que la otra supiera que estaba compartiendo con ella sus verduras?” and “¿Qué explicaciones se les ocurren a las hermanas sobre por qué tienen más verduras por la mañana?” During the second reading, the questions go deeper: “¿Cómo creen que se sentía la mamá cada vez que recibía verduras de sus hijas?” and “¿Por qué no les dice a Rosa y a Blanca que dejen de darle tantas verduras?” During the third reading, the teacher thinks aloud and asks follow-up questions. Think-alouds and questions include “Me pregunto si las hermanas le pedirán a la mamá que guarde un secreto otra vez,” and “¿Alguna vez le han guardado ustedes un secreto a alguien?” The “Tarjetas: Hablemos de libros” provide opportunities for students to engage in discussion using planned open-ended questions to understand information in texts. The questions and think-alouds included in the book discussion cards provide opportunities for students to develop oral language skills by sharing information and engaging in discussions about texts. 

The introduction to the “Tarjeta: Hablemos de libros” guides the teacher to use “think-pair-share” as a strategy for oral language development, especially for those who are learning English. The introduction states: “La estrategia compartir en parejas lo pensado puede ser particularmente útil en los niños que aprenden inglés y les permite desarrollar relaciones al mismo tiempo que desarrollan su vocabulario.” The book discussion cards also include opportunities for children to practice listening and speaking skills through authentic peer conversations during various parts of the story. The “Tarjetas: Hablemos de libros” provides stopping points before, during, and after the reading for students to engage in peer-to-peer collaboration. For example, during these stopping points, students can show understanding of various vocabulary words in a group “dramatizando las palabras pozo, princesa, y duele.” The lessons in the book discussion cards include tips for the teacher to develop oral language skills and build understanding of the text read. One suggestion is to have students work collaboratively in small groups discussing how the text connects to them personally. After each daily reading is a heading: “Haga las siguientes preguntas para apoyar a los niños en su comprensión del desarrollo.” Discussion questions include “¿Alguna vez han tenido que esperar? ¿Cómo se sintieron?” Materials provide opportunities for students to develop oral language skills by working collaboratively in small groups or in pairs to engage in conversations about books.

Evaluation for 5.2
Materials provide direct (explicit) instruction and opportunities for student practice in phonological awareness skills.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

“El desarrollo de las destrezas” in the Foundation volume Lectoescritura lists current research on the developmental continuum of phonological awareness acquisition. The research states that phonological awareness skills are generally learned in a particular order (Anthony, Lonigan, Driscoll, Phillips, Burgess, 2003). However, children acquire these skills in a sequence that overlaps rather than mastering one level before the next (Dickenson y Neuman, 2006). There is a developmental progression of phonological awareness that begins with large units of speech (rhymes, words, and syllables) and moves to small units of speech (phonemes) (Goswami y Bryant, 1990). This research is used to develop the activities within these materials. “Experiencias de aprendizaje intencional: Lenguaje y lectoescritura” include 106 cards to support phonological awareness skills. Each card contains a color-coded developmental continuum that recommends activities according to the needs of each child. These activities are used throughout the year to support the progression of the skills. The “Experiencias de enseñanza intencional, Adivinanzas con rima” provide activities that follow this continuum. The activity listed for a student in preschool 3 recommends that the teacher offer two or three props such as socks, a bear, or a glove. The teacher then invites the child to solve the rhyming riddles with one of the props. The resource states: “Estoy pensando en algo que rima con la palabra adelante. Lo usamos en la mano. Correcto. Guante rima con adelante.” For students between Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4, the activity recommends that the teacher invite the child to solve the riddle without using props. The guidance states: “Estoy pensando en un animal que maúlla y que rima con pato. Si, gato y pato riman. Las dos palabras suenan igual al final.” For Pre-K 4 and kindergarten level students, the activity recommends the teacher help the child decide if two words rhyme by asking them to compare the two words. The materials include activities that follow a research-based developmental continuum on how children normally develop phonological awareness skills, and the resource provides guidance on how to differentiate the learning depending on the age of the students. 

The phonological awareness objectives in the Foundation volume “Objetivos para el desarrollo y el aprendizaje” take into consideration some specific characteristics of Spanish phonics, but there is no evidence that the objectives are applied in activities specifically for Spanish literacy. For example, in an activity focusing on noticing and discriminating discrete units of sound, a Pre-K 4 student shows awareness of separate syllables in words by clapping or joining the syllables of the word “silla.” The resource states: “Da una palmada por cada sílaba de la palabra si-lla.” “Une las sílabas de “si” y “lla” para decir silla.” The next level of progression is for kindergarten students. A kindergarten student is asked to separate single syllables, such as “pa” or “mar” into separate phonemes. “¿Puedes separar los sonidos en la sílaba ‘pa’ diciendo /p/ y /a/?” The section “Lectoescritura” in this volume states, “Por lo general, los mismos principios que son eficaces para los niños monolingües son beneficiosos para los niños bilingües, pero se deben adaptar los métodos de enseñanza y apoyo según sea necesario (August y Shanahan, 2010; Escamilla et al., 2014; Goldenberg, 2012). However, the resource provides an onset and rhyme lesson despite highlighting that there are differences between the two languages: “¿Puedes separar los sonidos en la sílaba ‘mar’ diciendo /m/ y /ar/?” Phoneme segmentation is not an essential component of Spanish literacy like it is in English. The materials state that Spanish has specific characteristics related to phonics, phonological awareness, and literacy. Support and instruction should be adapted as necessary to account for these differences, but this is not reflected in the lessons.

In the activity “Experiencias de enseñanza intencional, Trabalenguas,” the teacher invites the children to learn about tongue twisters. The teacher explains that tongue twisters are phrases that are challenging to say because the words all begin with a similar sound. The teacher writes the following tongue twister on chart paper: “Tres tristes tigres tragaban trigo en un trigal.” The teacher underlines the beginning sound of each word and points out how they are similar. After the activity, the chart stays in the library area so children can practice saying tongue twisters during choice time. The following activity engages students in identifying and analyzing sounds of words that rhyme. In the activity “Experiencias de enseñanza intencional, Dime qué rima,” the teacher invites children to play a rhyming game. The teacher has a box and a basket with different objects. Children are able to see the objects from the basket. The teacher explains that the names of the objects in the box rhyme with the names of the objects in the basket. The children are to pair the objects whose names rhyme. The resource states: “En esta caja tengo las cosas de mi prima. En la canasta hay otras cosas cuyos nombres riman con las cosas de mi prima. Yo saco un objeto de la caja, lo nombro y ustedes se turnan para buscar en la canasta la cosa cuyo nombre rima con el objeto de mi prima.” The teacher suggests that the children separate the words into syllables to help them identify the rhyme. These activities allow students to practice the phonological awareness skills of alliteration and rhyme by identifying and analyzing sounds and syllables. 

“Mega Minutos” includes 100 cards that provide teachers with quick activities to stimulate learning. These cards include activities that focus first on phonological awareness skills in isolation before connecting sounds to alphabetic knowledge. A “Mega Minutos” activity that focuses on phonological awareness skills in isolation is “Ana tenía un gatito.” In this activity, the children name an animal that begins with the same sound as their name and sing a song set to the tune of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Another “Mega Minutos” activity focused on hearing sounds is “La Semana de Luis.” In this activity, students sing a song pairing the beginning sound of each day of the week with an action that Luis does that begins with the same sound. The resource states: “Motive a los niños a representar las acciones a medida que cantan el verso juntos. Los domingos Luis duerme, Los lunes Luis limpia…” Activities found in “Mega Minutos” also connect phonological awareness skills to letter knowledge instruction. In the activity “Búsqueda de letras,” students hunt for letters in the classroom while singing a song set to the tune of “De Colores.” The teacher then adapts the activity, asking students to hunt for letters that make certain sounds: “Encuentren la letra que hace el sonido /t/.” An extension to this activity has students using post-it notes to label objects with the letter that corresponds to the beginning sound of the name of the object. Guidance states: “Proporcione notas adhesivas y marcadores y ayuda a los niños para que escriban la letra inicial en la nota adhesiva y la peguen a un objeto.” “Mega Minutos” activities allow for student practice of phonological awareness skills in isolation through listening and singing songs that manipulate sounds and activities that connect student knowledge of sounds to alphabetic knowledge skills.

Evaluation for 5.3
Materials provide direct (explicit) instruction and opportunities for student practice in alphabetic knowledge skills.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

The materials provide rich, varied, and playful opportunities for children to experience, manipulate, and interact with letters and practice their alphabetic knowledge skills. “Guía de enseñanza de las primeras seis semanas,” “Construyendo su comunidad del salón de clases,” provides teacher guidance on creating an alphabet-rich environment. The environment encourages children to explore and manipulate letters and words throughout the classroom. The guide suggests placing materials in each learning center to facilitate the exploration of letters and words by children. Place alphabet books in all learning centers. Add alphabet bingo, alphabet blocks, magnetic letters, and alphabet puzzles to the Toys and Games area. Add alphabet cookie cutters, alphabet stamps, and sponges to the Art area. Add alphabet songs to the Music and Movement area. Across the various areas of the classrooms, children have opportunities to practice alphabetic knowledge skills by exploring, manipulating, and interacting with letters. 

The materials do not include a strategic sequence for the introduction of alphabetic knowledge in Spanish. Although the “Foundation” volume “Lectoescritura” includes research-based information and has recommendations for introducing alphabetic knowledge in general, there was no evidence found specific to Spanish language development. The materials recommend beginning with the letters in a child’s name. Lectoescritura also includes activities that build off the letters in the child's name.

Foundation volume Lectoescritura states that children obtain and interpret information more readily when several of their senses are stimulated. By seeing and feeling letters, they not only learn the names of letters, but they also learn their features and how each letter is formed. The materials guide the teacher to offer children a variety of ways to explore the alphabet. They can use sandpaper, salt trays, clay, magnetic letters, and felt letters. Children can also form letter shapes with their bodies. An example of this recommendation can be found in the activity “Experiencias de enseñanza intencional,” “Caminar por las letras,” where the teacher makes letters on the floor with masking tape for children to walk on. The children choose one or two letters, name the letters, and talk about their features. Next, the children walk or tiptoe along the masking tape and explore letters through movement: “Muéstrenme cómo pueden trazar la letra con los pies. ¿Puedes caminar en puntas de pie sobre las líneas?” The teacher encourages children to move along the letters in different ways during choice time. This activity guides the teacher to introduce and discuss letter names, features, and formation.

In “Mega Minutos,” “Guisado de alfabeto,” students imagine that there is a big pot of alphabet stew. The teacher motivates the children to move inside the pot while the teacher pretends to stir using a big spoon. The teacher then shows letters of the alphabet one at a time. Children name the letters and freeze if the letter is the first letter of their name. The teacher could extend the activity by having the students freeze when they hear the sound that begins their name. For example, the teacher would say, “congelate si tu nombre comienza con el sonido /s/.” This movement-based activity allows students to practice alphabetic knowledge skills in a developmentally appropriate manner.

Evaluation for 5.4
Materials provide direct (explicit) instruction in print knowledge and concepts and opportunities for student practice.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Foundation volume “Lectoescritura” states that teachers promote knowledge of print through activities that help children understand that print is meaningful. Teachers create experience charts with children that help them understand that people talk, write, and read about personal experiences. In “Guía de enseñanza de Cajas,” “Exploración del tema,” the teacher asks the children what they notice about the boxes. The teacher records children’s ideas on a sheet of chart paper to begin a “What we know chart” and adds information over a few days. The materials suggest keeping this chart available for the children to check frequently and to add information as the children investigate. The materials guide the teacher to use experience charts to provide opportunities for students to develop an understanding of the everyday functions of print. 

The research for the order in which skills are taught can be found in both Foundation volume “Fundamentos,” “Lectoescritura” and Foundation volume “Lectoescritura.” These volumes describe how students first learn print awareness skills through print seen in their environment. Once students understand that print carries meaning and they can begin identifying environmental print, the materials include activities that become more complex. Foundation volume “Fundamentos” gives guidance on how to teach print awareness activities. The activities provide opportunities for students to gain the following understanding about print: text is written from left to right and top to bottom, letters are written in two forms, uppercase and lowercase, letters represent sounds and those sounds are grouped to form words, and words can be grouped to form sentences. The Foundation volumes “Fundamentos” and “Lectoescritura” address how the materials follow a research-based, strategic sequence for teaching foundational print awareness skills.

In the activity “Experiencias de enseñanza intencional, ¿Me lees?” the teacher sits with a child to read a book that the child chooses. The teacher talks with the child about the images and words in the book. The teacher asks the child to tell what is happening based on what he/she sees. The guidance states: “¿Qué está pasando en la imagen? ¿Me puedes decir lo que está haciendo la niña?” The teaching sequence included in this activity provides information on children's behaviors that go from a child pretending to read a book by flipping the pages as he/she talks to a child pointing to each word as he/she reads the story to the teacher. This activity provides direct instruction in print awareness and how to connect that awareness to books read. 

In the activity “Experiencias de enseñanza intencional,” “Jugar con lo impreso,” the teacher guides children to explore environmental print. The teaching sequence included suggests ways to differentiate the experience according to the needs and abilities of each child. For students who are three years old, the teacher encourages discussion about unfamiliar print by asking questions. These questions guide students’ thinking to help them understand the meaning of the unfamiliar print. The materials guide the teacher to ask the following questions: “¿Cómo podemos averiguar qué había en esta caja? ¿Qué ves aquí que nos dé una idea? ¿Qué letra es esta en el nombre? ¿Pueden decir el sonido de la N?” For students who are four years old, the teacher encourages the children to move their fingers across the print. The teacher guides the instruction by asking or commenting the following: “Leemos estos letreros de la misma manera como leemos los libros ¿Puedes comenzar con la primera letra?” “Chorizo comienza con el sonido /ch/. Ese es el sonido que hacemos cuando vemos juntas la c y la h, /ch/. Chocolate comienza igual.” The materials include activities that move in a progression that supports children’s development of print awareness skills. 

The approach to teaching print knowledge is cyclical and involves many opportunities for repetition and revisiting of ideas and concepts across the lessons. The activities increase in complexity through the year. The materials recommend using some “Experiencias de enseñanza intencional” several times during the year, adapting them according to the topic and level of development. “Experiencia de enseñanza intencional,” “Hacer libros,” gives guidance to the teacher on how to engage children in making books. The teacher talks about what he/she is writing on the paper. The teacher tracks the print with his/her finger as he/she reads and pauses regularly to point out a letter or a word. The teacher talks about the spaces between words and how they make the book easier to read. Students contribute to a class book made over multiple days. As the teacher records a child’s dictation, the teacher models and talks about where to write on the paper. The teacher explains that an uppercase letter is used at the beginning of a sentence and that there is punctuation at the end of every sentence. The teacher discusses with the students the different punctuation marks and when they are used. The same activity, “Experiencia de enseñanza intencional,” “Hacer libros,” is included again in the “Guía de enseñanza de Cajas.” This time, each child will create a book where they can record questions to take with them on a site visit they will have the following day. At the end of the year, the materials again include “Experiencia de enseñanza intencional,” “Hacer libros,” in “Guía de enseñanza de Preparación para el kindergarten.” This time the students make their own books about things the class likes to do together at school. The materials follow a developmentally appropriate continuum for the development of print awareness knowledge and offer opportunities for students to repeat and revisit concepts and skills. 

The materials provide direct instruction in print awareness and opportunities to connect print awareness to books and texts. Each book in the materials contains a “Tarjeta: Hablemos de libros” that gives direct instruction to develop knowledge about print and opportunities to connect print awareness to text. Using the “Tarjeta: Hablemos de libros,” the teacher provides direct instruction in print awareness. The teacher prompts students to look at pictures to gain meaning. The teacher points out the differences between the words and the pictures.

The materials provide opportunities for students to develop an understanding of the functions of print in context to their experience at school. In “Mega Minutos, Búsqueda de letras,” children identify and connect letter sounds with the corresponding letter symbol. The children look around the classroom and find a letter while the teacher sings a song. The teacher states: “Pida a los niños que miren alrededor del salón y que encuentren una letra mientras usted canta la siguiente canción con la melodía de ‘De Colores.’ Ayude a los niños a identificar las letras que encontraron.” The materials give children opportunities to understand the functions of print in context to their experiences at school.

Evaluation for 5.5
Materials include a variety of text types and genres across contents that are high-quality and at an appropriate level of complexity.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

The texts within the Children’s Book Collection are at the appropriate level of complexity for children’s developmental level. Within the fiction section, the texts include storylines and characters that students can easily understand, such as characters who work in a pizza shop like in Hoy: Pizza como quiera and characters who sit and gaze at the stars with their family like in ¿Papi cuantas estrellas hay en el cielo? Non-fiction texts are at an appropriate level of complexity for children’s developmental level; they have topics that align with learning according to the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines. These non-fiction topics include identifying numbers 1-10 and counting in the book Cuenta, Cuenta, learning about life cycles in the book Mi árbol crece, and recycling in the book No lo tires, usalo otra vez. Fiction and non-fiction texts within the collection are picture books that support comprehension development. These texts can be used for shared and interactive reading. They contain many repetitive phrases, like in La gallinita roja, Los tres cerditos, and El hombrecito de jengibre. The materials also include big book titles that support shared and interactive reading.

The Children’s Book Collection provided with the materials includes multiple genres of text, including fiction and non-fiction. The books from the book collection are incorporated into the different “Guías de enseñanza.” Included in the resource section of each “Guía de enseñanza” is a list of additional books that are concept or theme-related. These books can be used to complement the daily activities and can be included in the different interest areas. For example, the “Guía de enseñanza de Cajas” includes the non-fiction book El mundo de las cajas by Teaching Strategies and the fiction books Harold y el lápiz color morado by Crockett Johnson, Alexander, que de ninguna manera - ¿le oyen? - ¡lo dice en serio! - se va a mudar by Judity Viorst, and Los tres pequeños jabalíes by Susan Lowell. The list of additional books for this theme includes informational books that center around concepts such as how boxes are used, how to manage your feelings, alphabet and numbers, big and small, and imagination. In addition to fiction and nonfiction books, the materials contain posters and recipe cards that can be read by teachers and students to support what is being learned in each theme. For example, the recipe card “Haciendo Limonada” is used during the lessons in the “Guía de enseñanza de Agua” to support the learning of water and mixtures. The collection also includes a variety of classic children’s literature, early childhood favorites, and popular current titles. Examples include Caperucita roja, El hombrecito de jengibre, La gallinita roja, Los tres cabritos, and Los tres cerditos. The materials also include popular children's trade books such as Harold y el lápiz color morado, Owen, Un beso en mi mano, Un bolsillo para Corduroy, and Crisantemo. Materials include both fiction and nonfiction texts that support student learning. 

The books found in the Children’s Book Collection include engaging content that students can interact with. Each book has a “Tarjeta: Hablemos de libros” that the teacher uses to engage the students in the stories. For example, in “Tarjeta: Hablemos de libros, Hombrecito de jengibre,” during the first reading, the teacher introduces vocabulary by pointing to the pictures and making gestures to dramatize. During the third reading of the story, students act out the story while the teacher reads. Students also interact with texts through opportunities to make predictions and inferences. “Tarjeta: Hablemos de libros, Un montón de tamales” asks students to infer why the character runs after she thinks about the ring. The resource states: “Maria está jugando arriba con sus primos cuando se acuerda del anillo. ¿Por qué corre hacia la cocina?” The guidance encourages students to make predictions by stating: “La próxima vez que Maria quiera pedir prestado algo especial de su mamá, ¿Qué piensan ustedes que ella hará?” The texts include stories that are engaging to students and include opportunities to interact with stories by re-enacting stories, answering questions, making inferences, and making predictions. 

The books in the Children’s Book Collection include topics that cover a range of interests. Some topics include insects, gardening, animals, family, water, music, and boxes. The materials also include culturally relevant books that help students connect to their experiences and backgrounds. Un montón de tamales by Gary Soto and Arroz para todos are two books that show foods that are eaten in various cultures. Read-alouds also incorporate student interests with books about diverse families and communities as found in the titles Un mundo de familias and Casas, Muchas Casas. These texts show the diversity in our world and offer an opportunity to learn and connect. 

“Mega Minutos” posters include poems and songs that support learning across content areas and actively engage children with print and music. The Mega Minutos poster “Colores de la ropa” is a song that supports identification of colors and is sung to the tune of the nursery rhyme “Mary had a little lamb.” The Mega Minutos poster “Puedo Contar” is a song that supports counting to 10 and is sung to the tune of “This Old Man.” In the Mega Minutos poem “Tubos y túneles aquí y allá,” the children perform actions while the teacher recites the poem. The children clap each time they hear a word that begins with the /t/ sound. The teacher writes the poem on chart paper and the children find and circle all the Ts in the poem. The “Experiencias de aprendizaje Intencionales: Lectoescritura” also incorporates the use of poems, songs, and nursery rhymes into lessons that include student interaction with a variety of texts. For example, in the activity “Nombres Graciosos,” the teacher writes the poem “Rita Risueña” on a sheet of paper and invites the children to listen. The students can interact with the poem by incorporating a new alliterative name instead of Rita. “Experiencias de aprendizaje Intencionales: Lectoescritura” and Mega Minutos include activities using poems, songs, and nursery rhymes that allow student interaction in a developmentally appropriate manner. 

Foundation volume “Lectoescritura” states that most young children are very aware of environmental print. The teacher calls attention to this print, talks about it, and explains what it means. Children are familiar with logos of businesses they visit frequently, as well as print on products they use. In the activity “Experiencias de enseñanza intencional, Jugar con lo impreso,” the teacher invites children to explore the environmental print in the classroom. The teacher shares one label at a time and prompts children to describe what they see. The teacher points out letters in the environmental print and talks about letter sounds with the children. The teacher reads the words and talks about the products represented by each label. The guidance states: “Antonio está señalando la T mayúscula en la caja. ¿Qué sonido tiene la T? Es la primera letra de las palabras tomates y Tomas.” The teaching sequence of the activity recommends talking about unfamiliar environmental print, noticing colors, pictures, and letters. The guidance states: “¿Cómo podemos averiguar que había en esta caja? ¿Qué ves aquí que nos dé una idea? Sí, ves naranjas y esta es la foto de un naranjo.” The activity also recommends pointing out familiar print in children’s clothing or personal items: “Veo que hay un nombre en tu camiseta. ¿Sabes qué dice? Sí, dice Superheroe.” The materials include the use of purposeful environmental print in diverse activities to connect print to meaning.

Evaluation for 5.6
Materials use a variety of approaches to develop students’ comprehension of text read aloud.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Foundation volume “Lectoescritura” provides questions to make personal connections and develop comprehension during a read-aloud. The teacher models how readers ask themselves questions and poses open-ended questions: “Me pregunto por qué el hombrecito de jengibre quería escapar. ¿Qué piensan ustedes?” The teacher asks who, what, when, where, why, and how questions about a narrative and the illustrations: “¿Cómo engañó el zorro al hombrecito de jengibre?” The teacher helps the children make connections by helping them see how the story relates to their own experiences: “¿Los engañó alguien alguna vez?” “¿Han comido alguna vez galletas de jengibre?” The materials include guidance for teachers to ask questions about the text and allow students to make personal connections and develop their comprehension of the text being read. 

Foundational volume “Lectoescritura” includes the teacher’s role in promoting story comprehension. The teacher introduces the story by previewing the pictures and asks the children to predict what the story is about by looking at the cover. The teacher encourages the children to talk about what they see when she turns the pages slowly. The teacher shows children the pictures while reading. The teacher then talks about the pictures informally to support children’s comprehension of the narrative. This information guides the teacher to use pictures and illustrations to support comprehension.

“Experiencias de enseñanza intencional” includes a teaching sequence with questions for students at varying proficiency levels. These questions support their comprehension of texts read aloud. “Experiencias de enseñanza intencional, ¿Me lees?” includes the following questions. For children who use pictures to name and describe what they see on each page, the teacher asks, “Benny, veo que el hombre está corriendo detrás del perro. ¿Qué pasa en la página siguiente?” For children who use some language from the text and can describe the actions, the teacher asks, “Tienes razón el pez nadó adonde está la ballena y dijo ‘glub, glub, glub.’ ¿Qué hace el pez después?” For children who use language directly from the book when retelling the story, the teacher asks, “¿Qué le dice la niñita a cada animal en el zoológico?” The materials support the teacher in scaffolding questions for students at different levels of language development when using the Teaching Sequence in “Experiencias de enseñanza intencional.” 

Each “Tarjetas: Hablemos de libros” includes questions that provide opportunities for children to make personal connections and develop their comprehension of a read-aloud. In “Tarjetas: Hablemos de libros, Esos zapatos,” students make a personal connection to how they feel at school when classmates laugh at them, similar to how the main character felt when his classmates laughed at him. Guidance states: “Los otros niños de la clase se ríen de los zapatos que le dio Jeremy el señor Alfrey. ¿Cómo te sientes cuando otros niños se ríen?” Another example of how the materials support making personal connections to texts is found in “Tarjeta: Hablemos de libros, La princesa del agua.” Students are asked to think of a time they had to wait at home, similar to how the main character had to wait for her mother at home. The resource states: “Cuando por fin Gie Gie y su madre traen el agua a casa, Gie Gie tiene tanta sed. Pero ella sabe que su madre tiene que limpiar el agua primero, así que espera hasta que el agua esté lista. ¿Alguna vez han tenido que esperar por algo que realmente querían?” “Tarjetas: Hablemos de libros” include questions that provide opportunities for children to develop their comprehension skills by making personal connections to the text read aloud.

“Tarjetas: Hablemos de Libros” includes a section with comments and questions the teacher can use for comprehension development. These comments and questions guide children to think about the characters and events in the story. The teacher models a think-aloud by answering a “why” question using the following sentence stem: “Yo creo….” An example of this can be found in “Tarjetas: Hablemos de libros, El niño de cabeza.” During the first reading of the book, the teacher makes a comment about how scared Juanito is. The teacher asks why they think Juanito is scared: “Juanito está asustado de camino a la escuela. Su papá le dice que no se preocupe, pero yo creo que Juanito está muy preocupado.” During the second reading, the teacher models making inferences. The teacher comments that Juanito’s parents are excited to move to a new place. The teacher models inference by stating that she/he thinks they are excited about Juanito’s new school as well. The students have the opportunity to answer a “why” question: “¿Por qué creen que los otros niños no hablaban con Juanito cuando llegó a la escuela?” The activities in the book discussion cards guide the teacher to model think-alouds to demonstrate how readers use text structure to help them comprehend the text read aloud.

Evaluation for 5.7
Materials include appropriate strategies for supporting English Learners (ELs) in their development of emergent reading skills.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Foundation volume “Objetivos para el desarrollo y el aprendizaje” provides recommendations that facilitate students in making cross-linguistic connections in the dramatic arts center. The resource states: “While in the dramatic arts center with children, talk about cognates or similar words in English and the child’s first language. Not all languages have cognates, but English and Spanish share many cognates. Give examples such as construction in English and construcción in Spanish. Point out that they look and sound similar. Doing this helps children bridge the two languages when building new vocabulary. This also gives students confidence in their emerging English language skills.” The recommendation to use cognates provides opportunities to make cross-linguistic connections that support English Learners in their development of emergent reading skills. 

The “Experiencias de enseñanza intentional: Lectoescritura” include strategies to support the connection of emergent reading skills from Spanish to English. In the activity “Hacer mi nombre,” the teacher asks children to name the letters in their native languages. The teacher then compares the names and sounds of letters in English and their native language. The activity “Clasificar sonidos” also supports the connection of emergent reading skills from English to Spanish. In this activity, the teacher explains that the children will have to sort the different objects in the box. The items will be sorted by beginning sound. Children will take turns sorting the objects according to the beginning sounds of the object names. The following strategies are included in this activity to support English Learners: “When introducing sounds, begin with those common to both English and English Learners’ first languages. Include objects with names that begin with the same sound in both English and a child’s first language. Point out names of children that also start with the same sound.” For example, the teacher may say, “Beto’s name also starts with the /b/ sound, like button, bottle and baby.” These activities provide opportunities for students to make cross-linguistic connections through the strategies given in the section English-Language Learners. 

Foundation volume “Lectoescritura” includes strategies for supporting the use of Spanish literacy knowledge as a means to transfer those skills to English. This chapter includes the heading “How to base teaching strategies on each child's level of English acquisition.” The following strategies are listed: “Pre-read texts in the first language and make connections between it and English,” “Provide materials that use the child's language and represent their culture,” and “Mark important words in the texts, both in the children’s first language as in the new language.” More strategies are included under the heading titled “Ayudas para la lectoescritura.” The strategies support students' literacy knowledge in their first language and transfer that to English. The following are some of the strategies listed: “Present the book first in the language spoken in the children's home.” “Highlight concepts and important vocabulary in the language spoken in the children's home and then in English.” “Provide word cards and pictures with related vocabulary.” “Include words in children's native languages and in English.” 

Strategies to support students in Spanish literacy knowledge and their transfer to English can also be found in the “Guías de enseñanza” under the headings “Niños que aprenden una segunda lengua.” Strategies include supporting vocabulary development through the use of gestures to help children with comprehension, use of authentic cultural text to help students make personal connections, and inclusion of letters from a student’s first language. Foundation volume “Lectoescritura” and the “Guias de enseñanza” guide the teacher to leverage the student’s knowledge of literacy in each language as an asset by incorporating strategies to support students in both languages. Strategies include using student knowledge of Spanish literacy and transferring it to English through the use of gestures, having vocabulary posted in both languages, and using cultural texts so students can make Spanish to English language connections.

Evaluation for 6.1
Materials include a variety of experiences through which students can engage with writing.

The evidence from the English materials in this report can be verified in full within the translated Spanish materials.

Evidence includes but is not limited to: 

In the “Literacy Foundation,” Volume 2, the materials include suggestions for the teacher to encourage individual writing in various interest areas. Chapter 1, “Blocks,” says, “Teach children about print, letters, and words by placing writing tools and paper in the block area and encourage children to make signs for their buildings.” Writing tools and paper can be placed in the “Dramatic Play Area” to encourage writing in different scenarios. Chapter 5, “Library,” includes the following teacher guidance: “When you include writing materials in the library area, children can explore the world of print. A place for writing offers children opportunities to write for various purposes, such as creating greeting cards, messages to classmates, and writing stories.” The materials provide activities where the educator can provide direct instruction as well as model and provide examples of the writing process. 

In Literacy Foundation, Volume 3, the teacher is provided with guidance to engage students in writing for authentic purposes. For modeled writing, a teacher writes in his or her own words (e.g., during “Morning Message”) or using words from other written material (e.g., poem, song, rhyme, or recipe) without input from the children. For a “Shared Writing” experience, the teacher writes down what children share. The teacher holds the pen, but the words are the children’s own ideas, experiences, and questions. Teachers thus model direct writing skills and provide examples of what writers do. 

In Literacy Foundation, Volume 4, Chapter 3, “Writing, Making Lists,” the teacher involves children in making lists (e.g., supplies needed for making snacks, favorite things, things to do to prepare for a special event). The materials offer multiple opportunities for students to imitate adult writing. In “Writing Names,” the teacher writes the child’s name on an index card, and the student imitates the teacher’s written example of their name. 

In “Intentional Teaching Experiences Language and Literacy Card 89,” “My Perfect Day,” children discuss their favorite things to do and why they like them. The teacher models: “I like to wear fuzzy slippers when I wake up in the morning so that my feet are nice and warm when I eat my breakfast.” The teacher gives each student a sheet of paper to write about their perfect day. Students discuss their writing during group time and share what they wrote. 

In Language and Literacy Card 39, “My Daily Journal,” students have the opportunity to participate in daily writing. Students can “write or draw in their journals when they arrive at school or during some other time of day.” Each student has his or her own journal. The teacher says, “Here is the journal that you will use. Each blank page is yours to fill with pictures and words that show what you’re feeling and thinking.” The children are allowed to “scribble, draw, or write to record their ideas.” The children also have the opportunity to write in their journal during “Choice Time” throughout the day. 

In Language and Literacy Card 42, “Daily Sign-In,” children sign in when they arrive at school each morning. The teacher explains the procedure and shows the daily sign-in sheet to the children and their family members. Any attempt the child makes to sign in is accepted. The card states, “This should be a relaxed, routine experience. Encourage children to refer to their name cards, if needed. Place a date stamp at the sign-in table, and encourage children to use the date stamp as well.” 

For Language and Literacy Card 60, “Writing With Wordless Books,” students record narrations to describe the illustrations in wordless books, which provides a variety of opportunities to make connections between reading and writing as well as to write responses to reading materials. The teacher supports the students as they examine illustrations and consider how words can be used to tell the story: “What do you see on this page? What does this picture tell us about the story? How would you describe what happens next?” The teacher explains that “different words can have similar meanings.” At the end, students share the story they have created.

In Language and Literacy Card 92, “Details, Details, Details,” the teacher writes about an object related to the current topic of study (this card can be used for any “Teaching Guide”). Students look at and talk about the object. The teacher asks, “Does anyone know what this is? What do you notice about it?” On chart paper, the teacher records the students’ descriptions of the object, which can include “a physical description, how it is used, where they might typically see it, what it is similar to.” Every student can dictate their description; the teacher models writing and also allows students to independently write their descriptions. The teacher then reads each description, and students identify similarities amongst them. After the activity, students can revise and add to the descriptions throughout the day as they “think of new ways to describe the object.” 

“Mighty Minutes Card 22” “What Could This Be?” is a shared writing experience. The teacher begins the lesson by drawing and showing the students an abstract drawing; the teacher asks, “What could this be?” Students add more to the picture to turn it into what they see and then create their own abstract drawings. In Mighty Minutes Card 101, “Clouds Out Loud,” students draw with attention to detail. They look up at the sky while outside and notice different clouds. Then, they draw pictures of the different clouds they see.

Evaluation for 6.2
Materials instruct students along the developmental stages of writing.

The evidence from the English materials in this report can be verified in full within the translated Spanish materials.

Evidence includes but is not limited to: 

The “Literacy Foundation,” Volume 4, Chapter 3, “Teaching Strategies: Planning Writing Experiences,” gives examples of how to engage students in writing through opportunities such as attendance charts, drawings, stories, greeting cards, letters, sign-up sheets, and “Question of the Day” charts. Volume 6, “Objectives for Development and Learning,” Objective 19, “Demonstrates Writing Skills,” provides educators with the developmental continuums students go through as they learn how to write. The continuum depicts the seven developmental stages of writing and related students’ actions from birth to grade 3. Students learn how to write their name, use writing to convey thoughts and ideas, and employ writing conventions. Strategies to encourage students through the stages of development include offering unlined paper of different sizes and shapes, pencils of various sizes, crayons, markers, whiteboards, and other materials, together with activities that give children reasons to write their names, such as on drawings, letters, and greeting cards. Teachers are to model writing with children and talk about what they write. For example, the teacher can say, “I’m making a sign to let people know the fountain is out of order,” and then say each word as it is written.

The “Teaching Guides” and “Intentional Teaching Experience Language and Literacy Cards” provide a variety of writing activities for students to participate in as they learn how to write. In the Language and Literacy Card 01, “Shared Writing,” the materials teach writing following the developmental continuum. Students participate in discussions and answer questions posed by the teacher. The teacher records the students’ responses on chart paper, noting letters and words while recording. The teacher practices positive narration (e.g., “James said he liked the octopus best at the aquarium. James, can you find your name on the chart?”)

Language and Literacy Card 4, “Bookmaking,” gives students opportunities to contribute to the writing process by creating a book about a subject discussed in a lesson. The teacher asks, “What would you like to include in your book about...?” This encourages brainstorming. Then, the teacher assists the student in editing, illustrating, and binding the book for publishing. 

Language and Literacy Card 28, “Stick Letters,” is a prewriting activity that helps children develop fine motor skills that later strengthen writing development. The teacher shows a collection of sticks and says, “I’m going to make an M. Let me see how many sticks I need.” The students use alphabet cards and sticks to make alphabet letters. 

Language and Literacy Card 76, “The ‘Me’ Book,” is appropriate for students in various stages of the developmental continuum for writing. Students operating within the developmental range of two to three years of age on the continuum write on each page of their book; the teacher describes the marks the student made. The teacher says phrases like, “This is the cover of your book, can you write your name on the cover? You made a big line on the cover!” Students operating within the developmental range of three to four years of age explain what their scribbles or marks mean; the teacher writes the student’s words and reads them back. For example, “What did you write next to this picture of you with your cat? Oh, you wrote your cat’s name, Milly.” The cards provide the teacher with supports that follow the developmental continuum ranging from two years old through kindergarten. 

Language and Literacy Card 81, “Revising Drafts,” supports and guides educators as they develop students’ understanding of writing and the writing process. The teacher collects a written or dictated work sample from each child. They choose samples in which the child is telling a story or presenting an idea. Then, the teacher explains that students will be revising a writing sample they already wrote and that revise means “to make changes to something you wrote before.” Example statements from the teacher are, “I would like each of you to read the story you wrote last week. We are going to work on adding more details.” The teacher supports student understanding by displaying a short narrative on chart paper and demonstrating how to make revisions: “Who can tell me a way I can make this short story more interesting? What else can I say about when the dog went to school?” “This sentence needs a capital letter at the beginning of the word. Let’s write a capital A here.”

Evaluation for 6.3
Materials support fine motor development alongside and through writing.

The evidence from the English materials in this report can be verified in full within the translated Spanish materials.

Evidence includes but is not limited to: 

The “Foundation,” Volume 6, “Objectives for Development and Learning” on “Fine Motor Strength and Coordination” provides guidance on the types of activities that students can complete during the stages of fine motor development. For example, within the developmental range of two to three years old, the student can complete lacing activities to strengthen and develop coordination in their hands and fingers; in the developmental range of three to five years old, students can work with scissors and place pegs in a pegboard. Children have multiple and varied opportunities to develop fine motor skills. Activities engage children in moving their fingers individually to strengthen the hand grasp and release using various bottles and items and in using two hands at the same time.

The “Gardening Teaching Guide” provides appropriate materials for the day’s activities, such as chart paper and writing utensils (e.g., pencils, colored pencils, markers, crayons). The “Wheels” Teaching Guide suggests materials to prepare before an investigation of wheels and to provide multiple opportunities for writing (e.g., chart paper, magazines, tables, clipboards, paper, pencils, paint). All of the materials are available to the students throughout the day for the investigation. 

“Intentional Teaching Experiences Language and Literacy Cards” and Intentional Teaching Experiences “Physical Cards” present activities that prescribe a variety of tools for students to use to develop fine motor skills and to assist students through writing experiences. For example, Physical Card 1, “Let’s Sew,” provides fine motor skill practice finger-and-hand coordination practice: students learn to sew using hole-punched paper and a toothpick with yarn taped to the end. Students push the toothpick through the hole to sew. The card includes a developmental continuum on the bottom to assist teachers as they support students in various stages of fine motor development. 

Physical Card 3, “Twisted Pretzels,” contains differentiated activities to help students develop fine motor skills. In the “Cooking Area,” students and teachers make pretzel dough. Students complete recipe steps, guided by the teacher. The teacher says, “Watch what happens when I roll the dough on the table with my hands.” Students respond by attempting to roll their dough on the table. 

For Physical Card 34, “Clay Engraving,” the teacher shows how to roll out a clump of clay until it is flat and how to hold engraving tools to make fine lines in the clay. Students imitate the teacher’s actions.

Language and Literacy Card 13, “Foam Paint Letters,” provides opportunities for students to use their fingers to develop tactile strength. The materials explain that the extra tactile stimulation of foam paint can help a child understand the idea of the shape of a letter. In the “Art Area,” the teacher puts a large amount of foam paint on the table for the children to write or draw in. Children experiment and draw freely, and the teacher demonstrates how they can use a finger to write letters. 

Language and Literacy Card 39, “My Daily Journal,” develops students’ fine motor skills towards writing. When they arrive at school or during the day, students can illustrate pages in their journal, scribbling, or drawing on the page. The teacher encourages students to write familiar letters. The teacher asks open-ended questions, like “What did you do yesterday after you left school?” “What adventure did you have recently that you would like to put in your journal?”

Evaluation for 7.1
Materials follow a logical mathematical continuum of concrete, pictorial, then abstract representations.

The evidence from the English materials in this report can be verified in full within the translated Spanish materials.

Evidence includes but is not limited to: 

The “Foundation,” Volume 4, includes research highlighting the importance of teaching mathematical concepts in a logical progression: “Children do not understand mathematical words in a problem situation and require modeling with concrete objects and words to develop operation sense” (Copley and Hawkins, 2005). Along with research, the “Teacher’s Role in Promoting Understanding of Number and Operations” section provides numerous teaching strategies to achieve this goal. Some general strategies include providing a variety of materials to help children develop, modeling counting strategies, identifying everyday situations to use ordinal numbers, acting out operation stories, using books to encourage numerical reasoning, and encouraging children to tell stories about how many. Manipulatives play an important role throughout the materials, and this resource recommends various types, including counters, interlocking cubes, connecting links, dominos, attribute blocks, pattern blocks, and tangrams. The document also lists different ways to integrate these manipulatives into everyday use. For example, the teacher should “place a book such as The Button Box next to a collection of buttons and a muffin tin to encourage children to sort.” Also, the teacher should “display a shape poster and book about shapes close to the geoboards to encourage exploration of shapes.” Teachers primarily conduct math instruction through the use of the “Intentional Teaching Experience Cards.”

Using the “Mathematics” Intentional Teaching Experience Card 4, “Number Cards,” students learn counting skills in a small group using concrete manipulatives and then move to pictorial representations. The teacher lays out different number cards ranging from 1 to 5 with the numeral side facing up. The teacher has the option to use pebbles, students’ fingers, buttons, or other manipulatives to count each quantity. The teacher says, “Let’s start by counting to 5. Here are the numerals 1–5 to look at as you count. Can you point to the number one? Which card will you put the pebbles on first?” The teacher models using the manipulatives to count the correct number and leads students through a description of each number card. Students build a conceptual understanding of counting, progressing from concrete to pictorial. 

Students build a conceptual understanding of measurement through Mathematics Card 7, “Ice Cubes.” In this interactive activity, students use nonstandard units to measure the different sizes of water spots produced by ice. The teacher says, “These water spots are all different sizes because we put each ice cube down at different times. How can we measure the circle of water underneath the melting ice? Yes, we could use our hands. This water spot is about the size of your hand. That water spot is the size of my hand. What else could we use to measure the spots?” The teacher prompts provide valuable context for students, and using nonstandard units of measurement allows the teacher to integrate various manipulatives or tools.

Mathematics Card 11, “Graphing,” helps students build a conceptual understanding of classification as they work together to create a graph. As an introduction, the teacher leads a discussion about different categories: “children who walk to school, children who ride in a car, and children who take a bus.” The teacher explains that graphs can have “objects, names, pictures, tally-marks, or collared-in marks.” Teachers are to use “simple categories that make the graph easy to understand and support the development of pictorial representation.” After designing the graph and applying it to different categories, the teacher makes the graph available in the “Toys and Games Area” for children to interact with during “Choice Time.” Teachers also have the option to make this graph using objects so that students can have daily practice with concrete representation. 

In Mathematics Card 13, students progress through the mathematical continuum and receive practice with abstract representations (mental math). The card uses the classic nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Teachers use cotton balls to represent the lambs, green construction paper to represent the field, and number cards to bridge the gap between concrete and abstract. The teacher says, “Let’s sing together, and we’ll count how many lambs we need to put in the field.” After singing the song and counting, students are ready to begin adding to and taking away. The teacher says, “We had two lambs in our field, and we added one more, now how many lambs do we have? Can you count them all? That’s right, we have three.” Teachers work through adding and subtracting up to five lambs, still using the concrete and pictorial resources as a scaffold. Finally, the activity progresses to mental math: “Using small quantities (up to five), encourage the child to mentally add and subtract lambs.” The teacher says, “There are two lambs in the field and two more join, can you tell me how many there are altogether by looking quickly at them?” At this point in the lesson, students should be able to access the abstract thinking necessary to complete the mental math. 

Students explore patterns in Mathematics Card 14 using different manipulatives or interactive representations. In this activity, students have the opportunity to copy or create their own patterns using a host of different objects (e.g., cars and trucks, crayons and pencils, forks and spoons). The teacher introduces the task by showing children a few examples of common patterns and saying, “Can you think of other patterns you see at school or at home? Martin is pointing to the stripes on our flag — red, white, red, white, red, white. That’s a pattern!” There are additional examples of everyday patterns the teacher can reference (stripes on a shirt, repeated wall tiles, a checkerboard). Students discuss additional patterns they see every day. Before students form patterns on their own, the teacher demonstrates how to represent a pattern on paper using writing tools. Students then use the manipulatives or writing to build their own patterns.

Evaluation for 7.2
Materials promote instruction that builds on students’ informal knowledge about mathematics.

The evidence from the English materials in this report can be verified in full within the translated Spanish materials.

Evidence includes but is not limited to: 

In the “Foundation” volumes, Volume 6 includes a section on development and learning that provides the teacher valuable information summarizing the developmental progression of students’ conceptual understanding from birth to third grade. This development continuum covers topics like number concepts and operations, spatial relationships and shapes, comparing and measurement skills, and knowledge of patterns. For example, under the “uses number concepts and operations” section of the continuum, it states that students between two and three years old will not always count in order when answering verbally. At this stage, students might say something like, “one, two, ten,” as they pretend to count. 

Foundation, Volume 4, offers additional resources meant to help teachers identify children's current developmental status and mathematical knowledge. In the “Observing Children’s Understanding” section, teachers should observe how a child counts sets of objects, solves number problems, compares the number of items in two sets, and writes symbols for quantities. In the “Mathematical Learning in the Interest Areas and Outdoors” section, teachers observe students playing with toys and games and look for indications of mathematical understanding. For example, teachers should look to see if a child uses one-to-one correspondence, uses terms like some and less, or uses positional words like over and between. This resource also describes ways in which the teacher can integrate mathematics exploration into everyday instruction. General teaching strategies can be found in the “Teaching and Promoting Problem Solving” section: identify problem-solving routines, use daily activities to teach problem-solving, use open-end questions and comments, and model problem-solving behavior that integrates math concepts and skills. 

The “Mathematically Rich Physical Environment” section provides guidance describing how teachers should utilize the classroom environment and its materials for math exploration. A mathematically rich environment is full of interesting and novel materials. Materials state, “It stimulates children’s thinking and entices them to solve problems, reason, communicate, make connections to what they already know, and represent their learning.” The materials emphasize “adding mathematics materials to all interest areas.” For example, teachers can incorporate objects like blocks, collectibles, dice, dominos, timers, and scales into cross-curricular activities and include appropriate math-related environmental print into each area design. Teachers should not only have these materials available but teach students how to use them and incorporate them into daily instruction. For example, “posting and referring to the daily schedule throughout the day teaches the students about time and sequence.” 

The “Intentional Teaching Experience Mathematics Cards” also help teachers recognize their students’ mathematical knowledge. Each card describes the content-specific developmental continuum through which students progress as they reach mastery. Differentiation and scaffolding vary based on the students’ developmental level, and the teacher has “Questions to Guide Your Observations” to help inquiry. This section is located in the bottom-right corner of each card and helps teachers evaluate how well each student is learning throughout the activity. 

In Mathematics Card 1, “Dinnertime,” students host a pretend dinner party and set the table with dishes, utensils, napkins, and cups. To guide math skills, the teacher has students set the table one item at a time. As they go, students should “add or subtract one item and tell how many remain by counting the items.” In the end, the teacher reflects on the activity. Materials provide different questions to help teachers understand each student’s developmental status, such as “How did the child solve the story problems?” and “How did the child communicate ideas and feelings?” Questions are color-coded so that the teacher can identify how much math knowledge a student already has and can learn how to promote further math development. 

This guidance can also be found in Mathematics Card 9, “Bigger Than, Smaller Than, Equal To.” In this activity, the students explore different-size blocks. Prompting teacher questions include “Which block is longer?” “Is Kenny’s tower the tallest?” “Let’s see if you can find the shortest building and the tallest or highest building.” At the end, the teacher reflects on each student’s developmental status, asking questions like “Did the child understand and use measurement words: tall, taller, tallest, wide, wider, long?” and “How did the child grasp and use the tools to measure the blocks?”

These Intentional Teaching Experience Mathematics Cards also promote math exploration through cross-curricular activity. In Mathematics Card 7, “Ice Cubes,” students conduct a science experiment to observe how ice cubes melt. They apply the scientific method and also utilize tools of measurement and comparison. In Mathematics Card 51, “Can You Find It?” students practice their listening skills. The teacher asks questions that require students to recall and use their knowledge of shapes and spatial relationships. The teacher asks, “Can you find a pair of scissors? Start by looking beside the art table. Now look next to the tape dispenser, what do you see?” In Mathematics Card 96, “Language Graph,” students discuss the different languages spoken in the classroom. One by one, students share whether they can speak a different language; students then record who speaks what, tracking the languages on a classroom graph.

Evaluation for 7.3
Materials intentionally develop young children’s ability to problem solve.

The evidence from the English materials in this report can be verified in full within the translated Spanish materials.

Evidence includes but is not limited to: 

“Foundation,” Volume 2, provides educators different prompts, questions, and feedback techniques that help students recognize and solve problems. Materials provide an overview of the different classroom activities students participate in throughout the day. When participating in “Block Play,” the teacher asks students questions like “Can you make a road outside of the fence you built?” Students must recognize the spatial limitations between their blocks and problem solve a creative solution for this issue. During “Discovery,” students use a balance to compare blocks and shells. With teacher assistance, they place different objects or amounts on either side of the balance, and the teacher asks them to describe how the scale reacts. The manipulatives in this activity are familiar to students, but they have to reason through amount and weight through trial and error. During “Outdoors,” students explore the outdoors for butterflies. Students have to access the field guide themselves to compare butterflies for similarities and differences. The teacher asks questions like “How are they different from one another?” and “How do they move?” For the most part, students are exploring and classifying on their own.

In Foundation, Volume 4, the materials explain that the teacher’s role in the prekindergarten classroom is to “expand upon children’s natural disposition to solve problems and ask new questions” and “promote positive approaches to learning as they model an attitude of wonder and investigation.” Materials provide a large assortment of open-ended questions and comments to improve children’s capacity to problem solve. For instance, questions like “Do we have enough?” and “What if there were 10 more apples?” prompt numerical solutions. “What comes next in the pattern?” and “What shapes do you see in the block tower?” require word or pictorial solutions. Teachers are encouraged to identify routine problem-solving opportunities and to embed these opportunities naturally throughout the day. For example, “finding a place to store additional blocks in the Block area can be a geometric problem, determining whether there are enough snacks for the site visit is a number problem, deciding which of two rugs fits best in large-group area is a measurement problem, and taking attendance and counting the children who are absent is a routine number activity that requires children to problem solve.” 

Beyond just listing possible activities, this document also offers detailed routine examples that can be added to and integrated with any lesson. “How Many Are Missing?” is a routine example of problem-solving using math skills on the playground. When students fail to respond to the teacher’s signal that outdoor play is over, the teacher can use this opportunity to integrate a math word problem. Students act out the problem and determine how many are missing. The teacher then models how to represent the word problem numerically. Another example, “Inside the Circle,” is a routine example of reasoning skills practice. If there is free time available within a lesson, the teacher can have students form a circle on the ground. The teacher places several items inside the circle, all of which share a secret attribute. Together, students must identify the secret attribute using only the objects as clues. They can investigate the items, ask questions, and discuss with one another before coming up with their answer. As a scaffold, the teacher can place some items that do not share the secret attribute outside of the circle. These activities promote problem-solving, are low stakes, and integrate familiar materials.

“Teaching Guides” also provide teachers strategies to promote problem-solving skills. In the “Music Making” Teaching Guide, the teacher wonders aloud about “the difference between the sounds children made with various objects during large-group time and the music they are hearing now.” The teacher then models thinking through and problem-solving what makes music different from noise. For this model, the teacher has different phrases, prompts, and questions meant to display problem-solving: “I can hear a pattern in this music, but when we were jangling keys and crinkling paper, it just sounded like noise. I wonder what makes music different from noise.” In the “Wheels” Teaching Guide, students practice problem solving as they explore how items with wheels roll down ramps. During the activity, students “notice and compare the speed of objects.” The teacher says, “I wonder how we can make the wheels move faster or slower.” Children experiment with different ramp modifications to test speed, “adding felt to the ramp, changing the angle, or pushing the items up the ramp.” These activities develop from a teacher model to student-led exploration, encouraging students to ask questions and to address problems in their environment. 

“Intentional Teaching Experience Mathematics Cards” are another resource that can promote problem-solving skills. In Mathematics Card 31, “Lining Up,” the teacher helps students understand important vocabulary related to size. The teacher arranges a collection of objects on the floor by size; students explore. The teacher says the objects should be arranged a different way (e.g., smallest to largest), and children place the objects in order. Starting with two objects at a time, students answer questions: “Which object is larger or smaller?” “Which object is taller or shorter?” They explain their rationale and then move on to additional objects. The teacher increases the number of objects one at a time and puts objects in random order; students have to rearrange the items into the correct series. To promote problem-solving, the teacher asks, “Can you explain the reasoning for moving the objects?” “Joe, these towers are all mixed up, how can you arrange them so they are in the right order?” Upon completion of the activity, the objects are made available in the “Toys and Games Area” so that students can continue their exploration during “Choice Time.”

Evaluation for 7.4
Materials build students’ number sense.

The evidence from the English materials in this report can be verified in full within the translated Spanish materials.

Evidence includes but is not limited to: 

The “Teaching Guides” recommend multiple opportunities throughout the week for educators to use “Mighty Minutes Cards” as well as “Intentional Teaching Experience Cards” to teach and reinforce math concepts. Several Mighty Minutes Cards support and reinforce mathematical concepts and can be utilized throughout the day and during transitions; they focus on reinforcing students’ understanding in the areas of number concepts and operations, knowledge of patterns, spatial relationships and shapes, and measurement. The materials use varied experiences to develop students’ number sense and conceptual understanding of mathematics. 

In the “Water” Teaching Guide, on Day 3, “Exploring the Topic,” the teacher uses Mighty Minutes Card 21, “Shape Shenanigans,” to reinforce students’ understanding of spatial relationships and shapes. Students build shapes on the floor using masking tape. They identify the shapes, discuss their attributes (e.g., the number of sides), and count the number of sides. The teacher or student can say, “This shape has three sides, it is a triangle.” The next day builds upon some of the skills practiced on Day 3, but with a deeper focus on number concepts. 

Mathematics Intentional Teaching Cards provide opportunities for students to build their conceptual mathematical knowledge. Mathematics Card 2, “Counting and Comparing,” has students count groups of objects. The teacher asks, “Which group has more?” to help students practice comparison skills. 

Mathematics Card 6, “Tallying,” teaches one-to-one correspondence. Students record tally marks in response to a question, such as “How many students walked to school?” Students record a tally mark for each child who walked to school. 

Mathematics Card 13, “Nursery Rhyme Count,” has the teacher recite “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” using a different number of lambs each time. The students respond by putting cotton balls on a piece of construction paper for each lamb they hear. This concept-building activity begins with small numbers and gradually uses larger numbers. 

Mathematics Card 37, “Secret Numbers,” explicitly reinforces the link between counting and subitizing, allowing the children to connect numerals with quantity. The teacher uses quantity cards (dots only), numeral/quantity cards (dots and numbers), or numeral cards (numbers). Children sit in a circle. They receive one set of cards; the teacher keeps the other set. Children choose a card from the set, reveal their secret number, and match the secret number (numeral). Teachers observe, “Did he or she count and point out the dots or recognize the quantity without counting (subitizing)?” 

Mathematics Card 39, “Let’s Go Fishing,” uses the “Teaching Sequence,” which teaches “quantities of objects one, two,” “quantities of objects up to 5,” “quantities of objects up to 10,” as well as “counting, numeral identification.” Students sequentially work with larger quantities and numbers to count up to 20 as they build their conceptual understanding of math. The lesson supports children’s understanding that the order of counting in sequence is always the same, developing their numeral recognition and naming. The teacher invites the children to gather around the “fishing pond.” Children pretend they are on a fishing trip, singing “Who Wants to Go Fishing, Who Wants to Go Fishing.” The teacher catches a fish card and counts aloud the number of worms on the card, pointing to each one to show one-to-one correspondence. Children sing the fishing song as each child has a turn to fish out a card. Children work as a group to sort the cards by the number of worms, using one-to-one correspondence.

In Mathematics Card 63, “Fishing Trip,” students count on as they catch fish from an imaginary pond. The teacher says, “You caught four fish, how many would you have if you caught one more?” Mathematics Card 77, “Board Games,” is a subitizing activity where the students roll a pair of dice, count the combined dots, and move their game piece the corresponding number of spaces.

Evaluation for 7.5
Materials develop students’ academic math vocabulary.

The evidence from the English materials in this report can be verified in full within the translated Spanish materials.

Evidence includes but is not limited to: 

The “Teaching Guides” list vocabulary to review each day, some of which is related to mathematics. Using the “First Six Weeks” Teaching Guide, on Day 2, Focus Question 4, “When do things happen at school?” provides the teacher scaffolding support: “Remind the children the clock is a tool people use to tell time. Revisit the class schedule and say, ‘Looking at our schedule is another way to tell time and find out what will happen next in our day.’” Materials guide the teacher to purposefully talk about mathematics, using math vocabulary such as first, second, and third to help children understand ordinal numbers. Teachers also use mathematical vocabulary in authentic daily activities, such as when reading stories.

Students practice using math vocabulary in the read-aloud Papi, How Many Stars Are in the Sky? Before reading, the teacher asks, “Have you ever looked at the stars in the sky?” and “Let’s read the story and see how many stars they count?” During the reading, the teacher introduces new vocabulary. After the reading, the teacher asks, “How does hearing stories make you feel?” This allows students to interact with books that encourage and support using math in a whole group setting.

The materials include 100 “Intentional Teaching Experience Mathematics Cards,” which provide phrases teachers can say to introduce and expose students to math vocabulary related to the learning objective and activity. They also provide a continuum of how to scaffold student learning and explain how to simplify as well as increase rigor for the math vocabulary used. 

In Mathematics Card 2, the teacher introduces and defines vocabulary related to measurement. The materials provide sentence stems, such as “Which group has the most …? Which group has the fewest …? Which groups have about the same number of items?” The developmental continuum at the bottom of the card ranges from age two to kindergarten. For a student at a developmental level of two to three years old, the card suggests: “Choose two categories with widely contrasting quantities, e.g., one item, five items. Ask the child which pile has more. Count the objects together. Which pile has more books? Yes, this pile is tall, so it might have more. Let’s count together and find out.” For a “Pre-4” student, the card suggests: “Invite the child to compare two groups of items and describe the differences between the groups.” The teacher says, “You picked up each group of shoes. What is different about them? You’re right, the group of adult shoes is heavier than the baby shoes. Let’s count how many shoes are in each pile. The pile with baby shoes has more in it, but the adult shoes are heavier.” 

In Mathematics Card 7, “Ice Cubes,” students hear and practice math vocabulary. The teacher says, “Can you tell me which ice cube is bigger and which is smaller?” The student responds using the vocabulary modeled by the teacher.

Mathematics Card 50, “The Farmer Builds a Fence,” is a story that uses mathematical vocabulary. Children pretend to be farmer helpers and act out the story. The teacher asks, “What is the shape I’m holding?” In Mathematics Card 60, “Morning, Noon, and Night,” students analyze events in a story and place them in order, using ordinal math vocabulary like first, next, and last. These are math-related, age-appropriate text choices that allow students to identify and use math vocabulary. 

The materials also include 17 “Mighty Minutes Cards,” which can be used during transitions to reinforce conceptual understanding of math as well as reinforce hearing and using math vocabulary. In Mighty Minutes Card 24, “Number Dice,” students develop their understanding of number concepts and operations and practice hearing and using math vocabulary. Students hear and say the number rolled on the dice and review numbers cards. They hear, learn, and say math vocabulary such as more than, fewer than, and the same as. In Mighty Minutes Card 17, “Where’s the Pair?” students classify objects that are in pairs. For instance, the teacher has a sock or mitten and asks, “Where’s the pair?” Students respond by identifying the pair. 

“Foundation,” Volume 4, “Mathematics,” emphasizes the importance of facilitating opportunities for students to hear the teacher using math vocabulary through authentic and explicit learning activities. The material discusses the role the teacher plays in facilitating students’ exposure to mathematics activities and vocabulary in the classroom. In Chapter 1, “The Teacher’s Role in Promoting Understanding of Number and Operations,” the materials describe how the teacher “designs the learning environment by purposefully placing mathematics materials in interest areas for child-initiated exploration and by intentionally introducing activities with a mathematics focus.” Materials further state, “You observe and listen as children interact with materials and their peers, and then you use mathematical vocabulary to describe their actions and thinking. You ask questions as children investigate. You play logic games, create mathematical problem-solving stories, and include numerical and algebraic activities as part of the daily routine.” As such, the teacher creates various and frequent opportunities to introduce and teach math vocabulary. The chapter also states, “Use books to encourage numerical reasoning by reading a book several times and adding numbers to some of the sentences.” Chapter 1 also suggests “creating and publishing a class number book by having the children create a book and write, illustrate, and publish it.” In Chapter 4, the materials guide the teacher to provide opportunities to practice math vocabulary by placing books in the “Toy and Games Interest Area,” such as All About Where by Tana Hoban and Beep, Beep, Vroom, Vroom! by Stuart J. Murphy.

Evaluation for 8.1
Materials build science knowledge through inquiry-based instruction and exploration of the natural world.

The evidence from the English materials in this report can be verified in full within the translated Spanish materials.

Evidence includes but is not limited to: 

“Foundation,” Volume 5, “Science and Technology, Social Studies & the Arts,” explains how students explore scientific concepts through conversation, exploration, and play-based activity. Some general scientific tool recommendations include magnets, magnifying glasses, balance scales, pulleys, and mirrors. Chapter 1, “Components of Science and Technology,” describes the importance of exploration through scientific tools: “understanding is strengthened when children are given opportunities to also explore toys, tolls, and books related to Science and Technology concepts.” To create interesting science areas around the classroom, the teacher displays artifacts, outdoor items, weekly weather forecasts, and measuring tools for temperature and precipitation. Often scientific exploration takes students outside for activities like observing the sky, looking for wildlife, and creating an outdoor display. Inquiry-based instruction is facilitated through “Intentional Teaching Experiences,” “Teaching Guides,” and “Mighty Minute Cards.”

Teachers can introduce life science skills through the Intentional Teaching Experiences “Mathematics Card” M100. While one of the major focuses of this activity is having students sort and count, they also explore living and nonliving. Titled “Living or Non-Living,” students sort collections of pictures based on categories and characteristics. The teacher begins offering some categories, and after a while, the students offer their own characteristics as well. The teacher lays out all of the cards and facilitates a discussion about living and non-living. Together the class sorts the cards with teacher guidance, and at the end, they compare observations of each characteristic. Students must explain how they know if something is living or non-living.

During “Investigation Choice Time” found in the “Gardening” Teaching Guide, students apply their knowledge of living organisms and explore their relationship with the environment. The teacher displays photo cards 24 & 25: one image has a picture of insects pollinating plants, while the other image shows toy replicas of those insects. After discussing the difference between the two images, they explore the concept of pollination. Students use felt and a bowl of cornstarch to model pollination. They notice how this experience is similar to insects’ pollination. Teacher questions include, “how are your fingers like the bees visiting different flowers?” “What happened to the pollen when you move the insects from flower to flower?” “How do insects help move pollen from one plant to another?” With hands-on experimentation, they use background knowledge and observation to communicate their answers. 

Students explore physical science through different activities as well. In the Mathematics activity, “Ice Cubes,” students discuss the properties of materials found on earth, namely ice. In this activity, students observe how ice melts and measure the change. The teacher integrates different suggested measurement methods: measuring melt-size using a sheet of paper, measuring the ice size, measuring the ice weight, and using a cup to measure melted water. Then, on chart paper, the teacher records student observations, comments, measurements, and collected data. They discuss and review throughout the day. 

While the Ice Cubes activity utilizes non-standard measurement tools, other activities integrate more traditional age-appropriate tools like balancing scales, a ruler, and measuring tape. Mathematics Card M26, “Huff and Puff,” is a measurement activity where students measure the distance a ball travels when someone blows on it. The teacher introduces the vocabulary terms force, energy, and effect. Students make and test predictions and evaluate the results using tools. In this case, they use a ruler or measuring tape to determine the distance the ball traveled during each test. 

Students use a balance scale in the Mathematics Card M49, “Balancing Act.” Exploring the vocabulary terms heavier and lighter, the children compare two bags based on observation. The teacher asks what they think will happen when the bags are placed on both ends of the scale. The students test their predictions and share their observations. 

Finally, in Mighty Minutes Card MM101, “Clouds Out,” students look up at the sky and record what they see. Primarily focused on the different clouds, they record what they notice and make predictions based on evidence. The teacher asks questions like “Do you think those are storm clouds?” or “How are all the clouds the same?” While not exactly space science, this lesson does help students explore the earth and the environment. The book Papi, How Many Stars are There in the Sky? has to do with a similar activity. In this text, the young characters are making space observations with their grandfather. They model asking questions about space, and the grandfather responds appropriately. In the story, they discuss constellations, the Milky Way galaxy, and the concept of infinity. Additionally, the teacher can very easily integrate counting skills into this lesson as the family counts to ten and beyond.

Evaluation for 8.2
Materials build social studies knowledge through study of culture and community.

The evidence from the English materials in this report can be verified in full within the translated Spanish materials.

Evidence includes but is not limited to: 

“Foundation,” Volume 6, has a chapter, “What Does Research Say?” dedicated to social studies where the materials describe the research and sequence of instruction. This chapter explains how prekindergarten students will begin to understand events that took place in the past, present, and future through activities and questions that guide understanding. It recognizes that “young children begin with an egocentric perspective” and then “during the preschool years, [they] become interested in other people and their community.” This introduction is founded in research, citing academia between 1995 and 2019. There is a subsection describing how the curriculum connects to each objective: showing knowledge of self, understanding how people live, exploring change, and demonstrating simple geographic knowledge.

The “Planning Your Social Studies Program” section provides guidance for classroom preparation, including a schedule or calendar of daily, weekly, and monthly events. There is a student-facing calendar as well, and every day the class has an opportunity to discuss the passage of time. This routine allows for recurring discussions about things that happen in the past or upcoming events. These daily routines are introduced and described in the “Building Your Classroom Community” section of the “Teaching Guide.” Other morning routines include singing a morning song like “Hello, How are You?” reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, and observing a moment of silence. 

While students are briefly introduced to the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of the year, they explore in depth with the “Language and Literacy Intentional Teaching Card” LL103, “Our Class Flag.” Teachers introduce the concept of country and state, students recite each pledge, and the class holds a discussion about the importance of flags. To finish, the students work together, creating a new flag that represents their class. 

In “Social and Emotional Card” SE07, “Good-Byes,” students learn how to connect conversation to life events and how to give proper goodbyes. The teacher initiates a discussion about people or events at home. She uses a student as an example, saying something like, “Penny, you have a sticker from the dentist. Did you go to the dentist after school yesterday? Your brother had a checkup, and he gave you his sticker? That was nice of him to share it with you.” Then, the teacher initiates a discussion about goodbyes, and the students practice through conversation. They apply this skill routinely at the end of each day.

Teachers reinforce concepts related to self through the Language and Literacy Card LL76, “The ‘Me’ Book.” In this activity, students write to convey ideas and information; however, the activity is grounded in concepts of self. Each student makes a “Me” book celebrating their uniqueness. They bring in photographs of themselves, family, pets, and home to use in their story. On the front cover of the book, they draw a self-portrait. In this activity, the teacher also asks questions about letter recognition, phonology, handwriting, and print awareness.

Then in Language and Literacy Card LL87, “It’s a Celebration,” students identify differences between themselves and others, celebrating the class’s individual and cultural influences. During the activity, students discuss celebration experiences they have participated in with their families. After the students share and discuss each celebration, they compare them, and the teacher records notes on a sheet of chart paper. Children examine these celebrations to build their awareness of different people and cultures. Throughout, the teacher reviews past, present, and future as well as summarizing an event. She asks questions like, “Your birthday was on…. What did you do to celebrate with your family?”

Using Social and Emotional Card SE12, “Classroom Jobs,” the teacher explains what it means to be a part of a classroom community and describes how they can contribute through classroom jobs. It is an introductory lesson for a structure that will repeat throughout the year. The teacher talks about and assigns different jobs to each child. Through some quick practice, children learn how to take care of the classroom by performing their assigned job. This structure mirrors consumer jobs and community helpers. 

Foundation, Volume 3, provides general information about how students can explore the roles of consumers in their community during “Dramatic Play.” The section “Environment for Dramatic Play” offers suggestions for different playful settings like the doctor’s office, grocery store, and post office. Further instruction is given on what items and resources to include in the area. One of the main learning objectives of dramatic play is that students “explore concepts related to people and how they live by providing props that encourage children to role play family life and different kinds of jobs.” Teachers have access to guidance for each activity responsibility: observer, facilitator, player, and leader. These conversation cues, questions, and suggestions help teachers facilitate the exploration of consumer roles.

Evaluation for 8.3
Materials expose children to fine arts through exploration.

The evidence from the English materials in this report can be verified in full within the translated Spanish materials.

Evidence includes but is not limited to: 

The “Teaching Guides” host most of the activities within the program. Many activities within this resource offer opportunities for students to use a variety of art materials and participate in art activities. For instance, in the Teaching Guide “Making Music,” students investigate music and its effect on us. The teacher starts the lesson by asking, “What music styles are there?” and “How do they make us feel?” The teacher then plays calm music for the class and asks, “Have you ever listened to music that makes you feel happy or sad?” and “Do you like to listen to a certain kind of music depending on how you feel?” After discussion, students complete the song, and the teacher plays a new song; this time, she plays music that makes her excited. She says, “When I hear it, I feel like dancing, swaying my hips and tapping my toes,” and asks questions related to the music. Students have an opportunity to dance to the music before the lesson ends. 

Later, the “Discussion and Share Writing” activity, “Music-Making Traditions,” utilizes students’ background music knowledge for discussion and drawing. The teacher starts by explaining that people who play instruments often do so because the instruments have roots in the traditions of their families, communities, and culture. She shows an instrument, introduces it as a cajon, and explains that it comes from Peru. The teacher says, “tradition is like a celebration or something that you do with your family.” To complete the lesson, students make observational drawings of various instruments. When finished, they share their creations with their classmates, who ask for details found on the instruments.

Teachers have access to additional activities in the various “Intentional Teacher Experiences” cards. The many card-types range from language cards to physical education cards, and often they integrate fine arts into instruction. Using “Physical Card” 31, “Tie-Dye Towels,” students participate in an open-ended art project. They have a chance to dye paper towels to create the colors seen in the book they just completed. They use eye droppers to do this, and the teacher models how it is done before students get an opportunity to do it on their own. After some exploration time, the teacher brings students back together to show them how they can make their own colors in an ice tray. This activity allows students to explore new color combinations to create new colors. Students record their color combinations, and in the end, they discuss which colors they found. This activity is placed into the “Art Area” when they are done, and students can return to it during choice time. Throughout the activity, students are focused more on the process of creation rather than creating the “correct” tie-dye product. 

“Language and Literacy Card” 55, “Dance and Remember,” integrates dance and song in a lesson meant to improve students’ ability to listen and understand increasingly complex language. In this activity, students join in playing a musical game. Students are introduced to the song, “Let’s Do a Little Dance,” and they sing the song a few times to the tune of “The Farmer in the Dell.” Once students are familiar with the words and tune, the teacher asks them to perform a movement as they sing. Each time they complete a rendition, the teacher adds an additional movement to the song. Students must remember how many times they repeat the song and which movement they complete for each verse. For example, the teacher might say, “This time there will be more to remember! Can you wiggle your fingers, then pat your head, stomp your feet, clap your hands, and jump up and down?” The activity gets students up and singing but also addresses a very important objective in the process.

In the “Social and Emotional Card” 26, “Making a Mural,” students learn how to cooperate together through a painting activity. The teacher provides students a large piece of paper and painting supplies like brushes, paint, and smocks. After deciding on the mural’s focus, the teacher explains that they will work side by side on the same big sheet of paper to create a large painting called a mural. The students then work side by side on the same sheet of paper, creating a portion of their choice, but they make sure to stay out of other people’s areas at the same time. 

Evaluation for 8.4
Materials include technology applications.

The evidence from the English materials in this report can be verified in full within the translated Spanish materials.

Evidence includes but is not limited to: 

The materials include the “Creative Curriculum Cloud” that builds consistency across all learning environments: traditional, remote, and hybrid. This tool provides teacher resources to help integrate technology opportunities naturally into the classroom experience. “Mighty Minute Cards” are a resource teachers use to facilitate different whole group, small group, and independent activities. Many of these activities integrate a technology aspect into instruction or practice. Teachers have access to most Mighty Minute activities online under “Digital Tools” in the “Mighty Minutes App.” Many of the activities overlap; however, some activities are unique to distance learning.

Using Mighty Minute Card 112, “Strike a Pose,” students learn how to use a camera. The teacher explains to the class that they will take pictures of each other using a camera: “I am going to pose for the camera, when I’m ready take a picture using the camera.” After a quick model, students work in pairs, taking turns posing and taking pictures. The lesson also includes instructional variations if the teacher chooses to use a tablet or another media device instead. Regardless, this activity provides students a playful opportunity to explore technology. Later, in the activity “Photo Slides,” students return to picture-taking. This time, in addition to using a photo, they also use a computer and a slideshow app to design their own personal slideshow presentation. 

In Mighty Minutes 114, “Pause and Play,” students practice using the pause and play functions when watching a video online. The teacher says, “We are going to watch a video about bees. can you please press play on the device to start the video?” As the class watches the video, the teacher pauses at strategic times so they can discuss the content. While students are engaging in productive discussion, they are also exploring the touch-screen device. When complete, students determine how to turn off the device. To complete the lesson, the students describe technology tools that have a touch-screen, explain how to use them, and draw their own touch-screen device on a sheet of paper.

In “Foundation,” Volume 3, the materials provide the educator with suggestions about how to incorporate word processing programs and applications into literacy-based learning activities. This section states, “technology tools and mobile devices, such as tablets and computers, can help children learn new words and gain background knowledge.” It describes “examples of what a child might do,” “examples of related objectives,” and “examples of how this relates to literacy.” Additionally, parts of this section include materials, suggested thematic books, questions for facilitation, and a “how-to” about observing understanding. Most of these activities are summarized and described in “Language and Literacy Intentional Teaching Experiences Cards,” or LL Cards.

For example, Card LL02, “My Digital Storybook, What You Do,” is an activity that links a word processing program and a digital camera to print concepts. During the activity, children use the computer to create a book. To begin, the class discusses the different book topics, and students take turns using the digital camera to take photos. For the text, students dictate their story into the word processing program, or teachers assist with the keyboard. In the end, the pages are printed off and bound into a storybook. To conclude the activity, students discuss the relationship between pictures and text in a story. 

Language and Literacy Card 14, “Did You Ever See…?” introduces a new technology medium for exploration. Students create a new verse to the song “Down By the Bay” by introducing words that follow the rhyming sequence. Then, they use an audio recorder to record the newly created verse to the song. The class takes turns playing their recording, and they discuss the different rhymes in the student-created verses.

Finally, Language and Literacy Card 98, “Searching Safely,” teaches students proper search engine etiquette and safety tips. The teacher says, “Let’s talk about computer rules. Before we go online, we have to make sure an adult is with us.” Children think about a topic and questions they have concerning their topic. Then, the teacher demonstrates how to open the browser before allowing the children the opportunity to open the browser and type on the keyboard. Students have independent time to search the internet while the teacher circulates and provides appropriate intervention. 

Evaluation for 9.1
Materials include developmentally-appropriate diagnostic tools (e.g. formative and summative progress monitoring) and guidance for teachers, students, and administrators to monitor progress.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

The materials include GOLD as the diagnostic instrument for both formative and summative assessment. GOLD blends observational assessment with direct performance assessment tasks. The “Technical Manual for the Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment (2nd Edition)” states that GOLD is developmentally appropriate and “intended to assess the whole child from birth to third grade.” The GOLD formative and summative assessment is developmentally appropriate and assesses “children’s development and learning across four developmental domains (social-emotional, physical, language, cognitive) and five content domains (literacy, mathematics, science & technology, social studies, and the arts).” Each domain assesses multiple objectives with various aspects being assessed per objective. GOLD “enables teachers to collect documentation on an ongoing basis to identify the best placements for individual children across the series of developmental progressions.” 

The materials include guidance for administering the diagnostic tools in a consistent and accurate manner. The “Foundations” volume, “Fundamentos,” includes a section on assessing students titled “Evaluar el aprendizaje infantil.” The evaluation system has four main steps: 1) observation and collect data, 2) analyze and respond, 3) evaluate, 4) synthesize, make a plan and communicate. Gold is an observational assessment system that provides an organized way to record observations, assure proper documentation for all students, and save samples of student work. Teacher instructions for digital portfolio management include “cada niño tiene un portafolio digital donde usted puede ingresar la documentación directamente o subirla desde la aplicación móvil.” Teachers have the option to create a child’s portfolio in a notebook where they can record and save children’s work. There is no evidence that suggests that students are shown the materials within their portfolio or allowed to place items in their portfolio in order for them to track their own progress and growth. Also in Foundations, Fundamentos, the “Caring and Teaching” section recommends systematically analyzing and evaluating teacher’s observational notes and portfolio samples to determine each child’s developmental level in relation to each objective. The materials provide objectives for children’s development and learning in “Objectives for Development and Learning” that guide the teacher to make the observation process systematic and meaningful, focusing teacher’s notes on the objective and factual information needed to evaluate progress. For example, instead of writing “the child counts tiles while walking,” a more valuable note is “she counts 16 tiles accurately while walking across the room.” The materials provide objectives for development and learning to focus on and recommendations for how to take anecdotal notes objectively and factually, ensuring consistent and accurate administration of the diagnostic tool. The “Develop” tab on the online platform includes an “Interrater Reliability Certification Process” that teachers complete to “ensure the accuracy of your ratings” and “ensure the accuracy of the reports that will draw on your assessment data.” The course includes “an introduction video, getting started, and professional development modules and tutorials.” The teacher takes the Interrater Reliability Certification to ensure that “you are using an assessment tool reliably.” 

The assessment tools include resources and guidance to the teacher for engaging families in understanding the assessment results. The Foundations volume, Fundamentos, guides the teacher to develop a plan for each student and for the entire class. Then the teacher is guided to communicate results to the families of the students. Included in the materials is a section on how to have a parent conference where results are shared with the parents, and parents are invited to comment on their observations: “invite a las familias a que comenten sus observaciones.” After listening to the parents, the teacher then asks the family to identify specific objectives they would like the student to focus on. The teacher and parents make a plan together: “conversen sobre los siguientes pasos en la escuela y en el hogar.” A way to effectively communicate with parents is allowing them to not only see their child’s portfolio but provide input through comments and submitting photos of their learning at home. Although there is guidance on how to have parents add to their child’s portfolio, there is no guidance or tools included for students to track their own progress and growth.

Foundation Volume “Fundamentos,” in the section “El cuidado del salón y del trabajo de los niños” under the sub-heading “Tome fotografías,” includes guidance for the teacher to add photographs to the student portfolios that can be shared by the student to inspire other students in the classroom. These photographs can also be put away in the portfolio to share with parents. “Las fotografías permiten que los niños compartan su trabajo [en proyectos] con todo el grupo y que el grupo se pueda inspirar en el trabajo de un niño. Además, las fotos se pueden guardar en los portafolios individuales de los niños para compartirlas con sus familiares.” While students are allowed to take photographs to add to their portfolio and share the photographs with others, there is no evidence provided on how the use of photographs in a portfolio allows students to track their progress. There is no guidance that suggests the teacher will review the student portfolio with the child to review work samples and how their work has progressed over time.

Evaluation for 9.2
Materials include guidance for teachers and administrators to analyze and respond to data from diagnostic tools.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

The materials include teacher support for responding to individual student needs based on their developmental levels in all domains. The “Foundations” volume, “Objetivos para el desarrollo y el aprendizaje,” provides guidance for teachers responding to individual students’ needs in all domains based on measures of student progress appropriate to the developmental level. The objectives show all areas of development and learning to give a comprehensive picture of the whole child’s development and learning. 

Recommendations are included to support teachers in adjusting instruction to meet children’s needs based on data from the assessments in each domain. The “Technical Manual for the Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment” contains a figure for teachers to reference an “Authentic Assessment Cycle” with point 6 being “Adapting instruction to support the needs of the individual child.” According to “A Look Inside,” adjusting instruction to meet the needs of each child based on data is digital and “becomes as easy as the click of a button. As you enter assessment data, GOLD automatically applies that information to your daily instructional resources. Toggling to the “Teach” module gives you guidance to quickly and easily individualize the learning experience to each student’s unique needs based on their most recent assessment data. Toggling to the “Assess” module provides you with questions and prompts to guide your observations for each child during the experience.” The teacher’s guide includes support for the instructional needs of students based on the data from each domain. 

The materials include “Objectives for Development and Learning,” a resource to help the teacher observe where a child is in relation to each objective. The objectives show all areas of development and learning to give a comprehensive picture of the whole child’s development and learning. The GOLD progressions help the teacher understand how the things children say and do demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and abilities related to the objectives and dimensions. The color-coded progressions help the teacher to plan activities according to the child’s need. “Experiencias de enseñanza intencional” provides a teaching sequence that corresponds to the colors used by the GOLD progression. The teacher uses the report data to support changing or enriching activities using the same color code.

The materials include an online professional development course titled “Implementing GOLD Preschool Online Course” with seven sections to help support teachers in their understanding of reports. “The course includes a number of practical exercises that will require each learning to consider his or her own practice and either observe children with certain curricular objectives in mind or individualize an experience for one child or multiple children.” The GOLD sample reports are easy to interpret to support understanding of child developmental levels. The “How-To Guides” for teachers and administrators give guidance on interpreting the child’s developmental levels with a summary, image of the report, and an explanation. For example, within the “How-to Guide for Class Report results,” it explains “the top of the report shows a summary of the information represented in the report.” The “How-to Guide for the Report Card results” helps the teacher and administrator understand the report by stating “each area of development and learning is represented in its own table.” The GOLD Sample reports give teachers information that is easy to read and interpret when planning instruction and differentiation. The materials provide 10 hours of professional development for administrators. This PD helps administrators learn how to use the online assessment and other tools that support the decisions they make related to management and leadership. It includes five modules: Understanding Formative Assessment, The Unparalleled Power of Early Childhood Education, System Administration, Gathering and Interpreting Data, and Leading Improvement. The materials provide guidance for administrators to support teachers in analyzing and responding to data.

The materials include “Assessment Opportunity Cards,” “Mega Minutos,” and “Experiencias de enseñanza intencional,” which give teachers guidance on how to leverage different activities to respond to student data. The Assessment Opportunity Cards explain how to structure additional opportunities for children to demonstrate what they know and can do in relation to particular literacy and numeracy objectives. For example, “Listening Cords Rhyming Games” lists the “purpose, what you do, objective, assessing all children, a guide to assessing children’s progress and Questions to Guide Your Observations.” The materials also include activities called Mega Minutos that are “actividades rapidas, lúdicas y amenas orientadas a estimular el aprendizaje. Cada Mega Minuto responde a los objetivos de aprendizaje de (nombre de los materiales) y a los Pautas de Prekinder de Texas.” This resource provides teachers with activity cards that are modified by level for all students to learn “se explica cómo adaptar la actividad según las necesidades y las capacidades del niño y se describe cómo individualizar las actividades.” 

The materials include data that administrators can use to identify specific areas of need for program improvement. The “Assessment Status Report” gives administrators an overall view of how far their program has progressed in completing the checkpoint and allows them to see at a glance which areas of development and learning do not have finalized checkpoint ratings. The administrator can see which children are missing ratings and in which areas to support teachers in analyzing and responding to data. The materials also include guidance for administrators to support teachers in planning for instruction to respond to data and describe which report administrators can run to get data needed to support teachers. Within the Support Portal, on the Administrator tab, an article titled “Snapshot Report as an Administrator” describes how to use the results to “identify children’s knowledge, skills and abilities along the progressions for development and learning and plan for any areas that need additional support.” The How-to Guides, Reports, and Administrator videos allow the administrator to support teachers in analyzing and responding to the data.

Evaluation for 9.3
Materials include frequent, embedded opportunities for monitoring progress.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

In the resource book, “Para Comenzar,” there is a plan for ongoing, observation-based assessment. Through the process of ongoing formative assessment, the teachers can continuously gather information about an individual child. This informs the teacher on how to tailor the instruction to meet the developmental needs of each child. The plan includes a dated collection of children's work and a system to collect, store, and manage observation notes and assessment information, such as GOLD. Assessment data should be analyzed and used to plan learning experiences and guide interactions with children. These recommendations provide options for progress monitoring that are appropriate for the age and the content skill.

GOLD is a scientifically reliable assessment system that offers routine and systematic progress-monitoring opportunities in all domains. The GOLD technical manual states that GOLD allows “teachers to collect documentation on an ongoing basis to identify the best placements for individual children across the series of developmental progressions.” Those “four developmental domains” are “social-emotional, physical, language, cognitive” and “five content domains (literacy, mathematics, science & technology, social studies, and the arts).” In addition to the ongoing progress monitoring, the materials also include a timeline for when observations are to be collected. Within the “Assess” tab are “checkpoint dates” that indicate when observation begins for each period of “fall, winter, spring and summer” and when the “start date and checkpoint due date is.” For example, under “period: Fall,” the start date to collect observational notes is “8/15/2020,” and the “checkpoint due date” is “10/29/2020.” This progress-monitoring tool provides teachers with multiple reports on child progress based on observational notes that were previously entered. The GOLD assessment provides routine and systematic progress-monitoring opportunities that accurately measure and track student progress through the use of anecdotal notes.

The “Foundations” volume, “Áreas de interés,” provides guidance on when and how to observe children throughout the day. For example, in the Library, the teacher looks for reading and writing behaviors related to the curricular objectives, such as if the child talks about stories, pretends to read them, and points out particular words in the texts. The teacher uses these focus observations to determine each child’s current developmental level and what to do to help his or her progress. The materials provide suggestions for tracking student progress in an ongoing and observational manner that will show a picture of growth over time to support appropriate assessment practices. 

The materials recommend using “Objetivos para el desarrollo y el aprendizaje'' to track children’s progress in each area of development and learning. The Assess tab allows the teacher to create an optional customized “On-the-Spot Observation Recording Tool” by selecting specific objectives and dimensions. This recording tool is a checklist to collect information quickly for one child or a group of children regarding particular objectives. The checklist includes indicators and levels of development for each objective. For example, in “Objective 16a: Identifies and names letters,” the levels go from “not yet,” which corresponds to children age two to three years, through “Level 9,” which corresponds to kindergarten. The corresponding indicators go from “not yet” to “identifies and names all upper and lowercase letters when presented in random order.” Collecting information about a child’s behavior as it occurs during the course of the day ensures that monitoring is done frequently and is appropriate for the age and content skill of the student.

Evaluation for 10.1
Materials include guidance, scaffolds, supports, and extensions that maximize student learning potential.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

The teaching guides provide recommendations to enrich and extend the study for all learners through additional questions and activities across the curriculum. In every teaching guide, there are optional enrichment activities titled “Experiencias Sorprendentes” that provide extensions and real-life connections. For example, in the theme “Cajas,” the teacher connects the learning by contacting a supply or food delivery service to learn different ways boxes are used. If there is no delivery scheduled, the teacher is asked to contact a local business to ask if the children may observe a delivery of supplies. If students are still engaged, in the section “Closing the Study,” there is teacher guidance for additional questions to investigate. For example, in the theme “Simple Machines,” the materials state: “¿Cómo podemos construir una máquina compleja? ¿Cuáles son las máquinas simples más grandes y las más pequeñas? ¿Qué otro tipo de cuñas hay y cómo se usan?” By connecting to real-life experiences and offering additional questions to investigate, the resource provides enrichment opportunities for all learners. 

Within the “Foundations” resource, Volume 1, “Fundamentos,” research and guidance for teachers is provided on how all children learn and develop. The section “Los niños con discapacidades” includes research and guidance for supporting children with disabilities and those in the Early Childhood Special Education program. The guidance encourages teachers to learn the strengths of each child and then to consider their differing abilities as they plan for targeted and individualized instruction. During planning, teachers should take into consideration that the best practices for young children apply to all young children. “Tenga en cuenta que tener una discapacidad constituye solamente un aspecto del niño y no su totalidad. Piense que los niños con discapacidades son niños ante todo.” The materials refer to strategies that help children with disabilities based on specific behaviors rather than their disability. By including research and guidance to teachers on how to plan instruction for children with disabilities, the resource maximizes the learning potential of those students. 

The Foundations volumes provide recommendations to maximize the learning of students with differing abilities. The materials recommend: Set up the environment and make it easy for students to identify the limits of their personal space. Set up systematic and predictable routines. Make changes gradually to promote adaptability and flexibility. Modify books in the classroom by adding textures to the illustrations. Pronounce words clearly and slowly for students needing support with language. Make sure that students are comfortable and can access the materials in the classroom. These recommendations maximize the learning potential of students with differing abilities. 

The section “Apoyar a los niños avanzados en el aprendizaje del lenguaje y la lectoescritura” of the Foundations volume, “Lectoescritura,” provides recommendations and strategies to develop the strengths and needs of all students, even those that are advanced and have already mastered the content. For example, a child that can read needs to learn new skills to deepen their understanding of the text. The materials recommend: “Tenga una selección de libros apropiada para el nivel de lectura del niño. Use lenguaje más complejo y preguntas e indicaciones de nivel más alto cuando hable con el niño. Evite las actividades de lenguaje que no lo motiven a ampliar las destrezas y los conceptos que ya domina.” The materials recommend planning learning experiences that are more complex that will enrich and extend the learning of those students who have already mastered the content.

Each “Guía de enseñanza” includes intentionally planned teaching experiences titled “Experiencias de enseñanza intencional.” These research-based experiences focus on content skills with embedded support for targeted instruction. Each experience includes color-coded progressions that include strategies and supports for students at different developmental levels. Using this guidance, the teacher is able to monitor and adjust activities based on each student’s needs and abilities. For example, in a learning experience titled “Narrar historias de libros sin palabras,” the yellow teaching sequence is geared towards students performing developmentally in the two- to three-year-old range and recommends picking a specific character or event and encouraging the student to describe what they see. The materials state: “Señale un personaje o un evento específico y anime al niño a describir lo que ve. ¿Qué ves en esa página? ¿Dónde está la rana al final de la historia?” This activity provides practice of precursor skills that will help master retelling a story after it is read aloud. Activities for those who have mastered content can also be found here. Under the color purple teaching sequence, students performing at a kindergarten level, the recommendation is to ask the student to tell the story, including details, and to discuss problems and solutions in addition to the basic plot. The materials state: “Pida al niño narrar la historia usando muchos detalles. Anímelo a discutir problemas y soluciones, además de la trama básica. ¿Cómo resolvió la gente el problema cuando había demasiada agua? ¡Así es! Construyeron un bote.” This upward scaffold activity is recommended to build upon the children’s knowledge level. The strategies and supports included in the “Experiencias de enseñanza intencional'' scaffold and support the learning of students performing at all levels, maximizing their learning potential. 

The book discussion cards, “Tarjetas: Hablemos de libros,” guides the teacher on how to support children who have not yet mastered the content. These cards provide opportunities for children to develop and practice prerequisite skills necessary to understand the read-aloud. The book discussion cards support the listening comprehension of students by guiding the teacher on how to introduce vocabulary words. The teacher shows an illustration or part of the illustration that reveals the word 's meaning. “Señale una ilustración, o parte de una ilustración, que demuestre el significado de la palabra. Demuestre el significado de las palabras usando expresiones faciales, movimientos y otro lenguaje corporal. Dé una definición breve de una palabra cuando la lee en el texto.” 

The back of each “Mega Minutos'' card provides additional activities to extend learning. For example, the activity “¿Qué pasaría si…?” asks silly questions like “What would happen if…(you used socks on your hands)? The back of the card suggests that the teacher ask the students to think of their own silly questions. Ask follow-up questions to encourage children to think more about the situation. For example, “Si [usáramos calcetines en las manos], ¿qué usaríamos [en los pies]?” The opportunity to formulate their own questions in this additional activity offers the students a way to deepen their understanding of the content or skill presented.

Evaluation for 10.2
Materials provide a variety of instructional methods that appeal to a variety of learning interests and needs.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

In the “Guías de enseñanza,” the materials use developmentally appropriate teaching strategies to meet children’s different learning needs and engage them in mastery of the content. For example, in “Guía de enseñanza de Máquinas Simples,” the teacher shows “tongs” to the students and explains what they are and what they are used for. The teacher gives each child the opportunity to touch and inspect the tongs. The teacher explains that tongs are two levers put together with the fulcrum at one end. The teacher asks the students what can be picked up using tongs and writes down their responses. The teacher shows the children a basket with a variety of objects of different sizes and weights, then invites the children to take turns using the tongs to pick up an item from the basket. This activity includes developmentally appropriate instructional strategies that meet the needs of visual, kinesthetic, and tactile learners. Students with all learning preferences can engage with and master the content presented. 

The daily plan in every “Guía de enseñanza” includes components of the day with grouping recommendations as instructional strategies to engage students in the content. Each daily plan recommends that the Opening Routine, Discussion and Shared Writing, and the end of the day Roundup be done in a large group setting. Read-alouds can be done in a small group, and independent work can be done during Choice Time. In the “Guía de enseñanza de Cajas,” the teacher welcomes the students and engages them in a movement activity found in “Mega Minutos” “¡Se acabó el tiempo!” Afterward, the students participate in a rhyming activity. During Discussion and Shared Writing, the teacher and students compare different sizes of boxes and write their findings. During the Roundup, students recall the events of the day. In a small group, the teacher reads El mundo de las cajas, using questions to ask before, during, and after the reading. The “Guía de enseñanza de Cajas” recommends materials and activities to include in the “Áreas de Interes.” This gives students opportunities to explore and work independently. 

The Fundamentos volume includes information to support developmentally appropriate multimodal instructional strategies. For example, Fundamentos “Los estilos de aprendizaje” includes information and guidance on student learning preferences and multimodal strategies to support them. Auditory learners have an affinity for oral language and sounds and can resolve problems by discussing them. “Los niños que aprenden oyendo y hablando sobre las ideas tienen afinidad por el lenguaje oral y sonidos, resuelven los problemas hablando sobre ellos.” These students can follow instructions and oral explanations. Visual learners learn by observing and seeing how something is done. “Los niños que aprenden viendo lo hacen mejor cuando les muestra información o les demuestra cómo hacer algo. Ellos se sienten atraídos por los colores, las formas y el movimiento.” When working with visual learners, avoid long conversations that don’t include pictures. Kinesthetic learners prefer to learn by moving and participating physically during learning experiences. “Los niños que aprenden moviéndose prefieren moverse o participar físicamente de alguna manera durante las experiencias de aprendizaje.” Give these students the opportunity to stand up from their chair and let them move. This information and guidance supports developmentally appropriate multimodal instructional strategies.

Foundations volume “Objetivos para el desarrollo y el aprendizaje” includes information on the color-coded developmental progressions used in the “Experiencias de enseñanza intencional.” Each color addresses a different developmental level that includes expectations and examples of student behaviors. Skills in green indicate the knowledge expected for a student in PreK 3, and skills in blue for a student in PreK 4. The teacher determines the developmental level of each child, and guidance allows the teacher to decide how and when to adapt an activity to best meet individual children’s needs. An example of a color-coded developmental progression can be found in “Experiencias de enseñanza intencional, Hacer números.” In green, for PreK 3 students, the materials suggest using cards 1-5 and letting the child choose a card to count and trace. Invite them to form the dough along the outline of the numeral on the card. Praise the child and ask him to count the dots and use the dough to trace the numeral. The card states: “Así es, este es el número 5. Tiene dos líneas rectas y una línea curva. ¿Puedes contar los puntos en la tarjeta?” “¿Cómo vas a usar la plastilina para trazar el contorno del número?” The color-coded developmental progressions offer guidance to support the teacher's understanding of developmentally appropriate instructional strategies. 

Materials support multiple types of practices (e.g., guided, independent, collaborative) and provide guidance and structures to achieve effective implementation. The materials include activities that can be embedded into the learning centers for independent and collaborative practice or application of skills. For example, in “Experiencias de enseñanza intencional, Relatos dramatizados,” the teacher reads a story previously read using props, and students listen to the story while the teacher demonstrates how and when to use the props. When the teacher finishes, the children retell the story. The teacher explains that the props will be in the library for the children to use either independently or collaboratively during choice time. The lessons in the materials provide the teacher with guidance on how to embed hands-on and discovery activities in the learning centers so that students can work independently or collaboratively.

Evaluation for 10.3
Materials include supports for English Learners (ELs) to meet grade-level learning expectations.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Included in every “Guía de enseñanza” are recommendations on how to accommodate instruction to support English learners, but these recommendations are not specific to any level of English language proficiency. For each day in the “Guía de enseñanza de Máquinas Simples,” there is a recommended strategy to use with English Learners, “Niños que aprenden inglés como segunda lengua.” One recommendation is to provide English Learners opportunities to demonstrate math skills that are not dependent on language. Encourage students to create or draw a shape. Another recommendation is to read books with English Learners in a small group. Working in small groups gives English Learners a better opportunity to respond to the text and answer simple questions. The materials also recommend using real or familiar objects to help English Learners demonstrate their comprehension of comparing measurements. The recommended accommodations for linguistics make the content comprehensible and support English Learners in meeting grade-level expectations, but minimal examples show how to scaffold according to levels of English language proficiency.

The “Foundation” volume “Objetivos para el desarrollo y el aprendizaje” includes charts showing the progressions of development and learning for different objectives. The developmental levels used are beginning, progressing, increasing, and advancing. The progressions for objectives focusing on English language acquisition include one on listening and understanding of English. This progression states that when a child has an increasing English level, the student responds to words and phrases in English that are not accompanied by gestures or other visual aids. The progression includes strategies for students who are at that level of development. Speak slowly, simplify your message, use parallel talk, and describe the actions of the child. An example of parallel talk is “Now I will put the milk in the batter.” An example of describing the actions of the child is “You are stacking the blue block on top of the red block.” Objetivo 38 “Demuestra progreso en hablar el íngles” includes a chart showing a child’s progression of English development. This chart lists child behaviors at four different levels, “Comienzo, Progreso, Progreso incremental” and “Manejo avanzado.” Also included with this objective are strategies that can be used with students acquiring speaking skills in English. For example, the materials guide the teacher to have children who are learning English repeat words while the teacher shows what objects or pictures they refer to. Another strategy guides the teacher to allow extra wait time for children who are learning English so that they may have time to think of what they want to say in response to a question asked. Students may need this extra time to think of the words they want to say in English.

The materials include recommendations and strategies for the teacher on how to use a child’s first language to support their development in English. “Experiencias de enseñanza intencional” are cards with teaching experiences that are printed in English on one side and in Spanish on the other. These cards give guidance to the teacher to support the development of children’s first language along with English. If some Spanish-speaking children are just starting to learn English, the materials recommend first presenting the activity in Spanish to build children’s vocabulary and understanding of concepts, later using the activity in English with the same children to reinforce the concepts while promoting their English language skills. This reinforces previously introduced concepts while promoting English language skills.” These recommendations encourage the use of Spanish as a strategy to develop linguistic, cognitive, and academic skills in English.

“Tarjetas: Hablemos de libros” includes recommendations that support children that are learning English as a second language, strategically using their first language to access the second language. The section “Lectura con los niños que aprenden inglés” recommends using children’s primary language to enhance the vocabulary development of Spanish speaking children learning English. It is helpful to refer to the Spanish vocabulary words on the “Tarjetas: Hablemos de libros.” You can mention these Spanish words during read-alouds to help children make the connection between English and Spanish vocabulary. Use gestures, visual cues, pictures, and real objects to demonstrate the meaning of words. Ask questions based on the level of English language development. For children who are in the non-verbal stage, ask questions that can be answered with a gesture like a thumbs up or down or by nodding their head. A strategy you can use when asking English learners questions in a group setting is to give the children time to think about their answers, ask them to comment on their thoughts with their partner, and then invite them to share their ideas with everyone. This “share thoughts” strategy can be particularly helpful for children learning English and allows them to develop relationships while developing their vocabulary.

Evaluation for 11.1
Materials include year-long plans with practice and review opportunities that support instruction.

The evidence from the English materials in this report can be verified in full within the translated Spanish materials.

Evidence includes but is not limited to: 

The materials outline the opportunities for practice as well as lessons that touch on developing knowledge and skills across all domains in “Proclamation 2021: Breakouts to the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines (TPG): Student/Teacher Materials.” The resource demonstrates how the instructional materials facilitate multiple opportunities and touchpoints for students to develop skills within each domain. For example, there are 56 opportunities throughout the year for students to develop “Relationships with Others,” a target area within the “Social and Emotional Development” domain. 

The “2020 Scope and Sequence” for three- and four-year-olds includes an outline of how each content domain is implemented throughout the beginning of the year, middle of the year, and end of the year. The resource shows how areas of development and learning follow the scope of concepts and skills in a sequence that builds upon the child’s prior knowledge. The materials are vertically aligned, helping the teacher provide lessons that are connected to each unit to support children’s developmental learning.

The materials in “Foundation,” Volume 6, “Objectives for Learning and Development,” present the developmental progression of skills in each content domain from prekindergarten through second grade. The materials in the “Intentional Teaching Experiences Cards” provide a color-coded scaffolding chart that shows how the teacher can enrich and support skill development for each activity through kindergarten.

The “Literacy” Teaching Guide, Chapter 3, “Teaching Strategies,” includes suggestions for the teacher to review behavioral expectations with the child before a read-aloud. The “Intentional Teaching Experiences Mathematics Card 9,” “Bigger Than, Smaller Than, and Equal To” suggests teachers provide building blocks for children to explore in the “Block Area” during “Choice Time.” The “Teaching Sequence” recommends color-coded strategies and materials to review and practice skills with children at a three- to five-year-old developmental level. Mathematics Card 47 has the teacher review shapes using construction paper shapes; then, students use their bodies to create a similar shape. “Language and Literacy Intentional Teaching Experience Card 98,” “Searching Safely,” includes a “Computer Rules” chart that the teacher reviews with the students before beginning research of a topic on a computer. 

The online platform includes a vertical alignment PDF document called “Alignment With Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines of The Creative Curriculum for Preschool,” which is a compilation of charts that show how the curriculum content aligns with learning goals established by the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines. 

Evaluation for 11.2
Materials include implementation support for teachers and administrators.

The evidence from the English materials in this report can be verified in full within the translated Spanish materials.

Evidence includes but is not limited to: 

The materials include a scope and sequence with content domains as they are outlined in the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines (e.g., “Social and Emotional Development,” “Physical,” “Language,” “Literacy,” “Mathematics,” “Science and Technology,” “Social Studies,” and the “Arts”). The materials include activities and lessons that encompass a year’s worth of instruction. The materials begin the year with the “The First Six Weeks Teaching Guide” and end the academic year with the “Getting Ready For Kindergarten” Teaching Guide. The “2020 Scope and Sequence” directly references the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines and outlines the sequence of development for the beginning, middle, and end of the year with respect to the 36 objectives for learning and development found in “Foundation,” Volume 6.

The Scope and Sequence outline essential knowledge and skills that are taught to provide support for children at different stages of learning. It highlights the skills and objectives students will develop throughout the entire academic year. The formative assessment tool is used in the fall, winter, spring, and summer, indicating that the materials and plans are implemented across the school year. 

The Teaching Guides explain how to plan for a unit of study, provide an overview of the unit of study, and contain a “Week at a Glance” for each week. They explicitly outline lessons for each day of the unit and for each block of the day, such as “Large Group,” “Small Group,” “Choice Time,” and “Read Aloud.” Each Teaching Guide volume includes a “Planning for the Study” section with guidance on preparing for each themed unit. This includes a list of materials needed for investigations and an explanation of how to prepare interest areas by incorporating resources related to the topic. The Teaching Guides also include an “Exploring the Topic” overview, which includes teacher guidance in implementing resources throughout the week. Each overview includes a scheduling block with suggestions on how to implement resources such as books, teaching guides, and activities. “Theme Studies” that incorporate each themed unit can be added manually to account for breaks in the school year. “Mighty Minutes,” “Intentional Teaching Experiences,” “Book Discussions,” and activities can also be planned and entered manually into the calendar. Activities can be searched to include specific Prekindergarten Guidelines and objectives to be taught. The “Getting Ready for Kindergarten” Teaching Guide provides the teacher with an understanding of how to use the intended materials for the lessons and activities. The materials provide detailed strategies for implementing lessons at the beginning of each week. “At a Glance” outlines the materials, the topic of each lesson, and classroom resources such as vocabulary cards, science tools, table-top charts, and manipulatives to support children in development in content learning and skills. 

The materials provide the teacher with guidance on which Intentional Teaching Experiences Cards, Mighty Minutes Cards, and Book Discussion Cards to use based on the lesson and content area covered throughout the day. Teaching Guides explain how to enrich interest areas and centers based on the topic of study for the unit. For example, the Intentional Teaching Experiences Social and Emotional Card 28, “Our Feelings Song,” lists the materials, background information, objectives, and strategies to teach the song. This activity is part of a full day of school readiness skills experiences; it focuses on establishing and sustaining positive relationships and supports making connections within the unit. The “Teaching Sequence” provides color-coded age-appropriate activities. In the “yellow” tier, the teacher talks to students about different emotions: “This boy is feeling excited. What would you say to him?” For the “purple” tier, the teacher says, “What does it look like this child might be feeling?” while holding up a photo. Materials thus support scaffolding and include realistic pacing guidance at the lesson level. The Books Discussion Cards, Intentional Teaching Experiences Cards, and Mighty Minutes Cards are reusable and can be spiraled throughout the year. 

Volume 2 of the Foundation resource outlines what the educator can place in interest areas to support daily instruction and students’ development of skills over time. Volume 6, “Objectives for Development and Learning, Birth through Third Grade,” provides guidance to help administrators support teachers in understanding appropriate learning environments and best instructional practices in the classroom.

The materials provide 10 hours of professional development for administrators: “Gold for Administrators.” It explores formative assessment, “Early Childhood Education through Developmentally Appropriate Practices,” “System Administration,” “Gathering and Interpreting Data,” and “Leading Improvement.” The digital platform notes that the publisher provides two different scope and sequences. The 2017 document, “The Creative Curriculum for Preschool, Scope and Sequence for 3- and 4-Year-Olds” states, “This chart can be used as a starting point for children and can be adjusted according to the child’s individual strengths and needs identified by assessment findings.” There is another Scope and Sequence from 2016. These documents address the sequence of implementation to include all domains. The online portal includes a “Teach” menu button, which includes a yearly planning calendar that can be utilized by the teacher. 

The pace of the materials is realistic and includes opportunities for students to develop skills by day, throughout the week, and across the unit. 

Evaluation for 11.3
Materials provide implementation guidance to meet variability in programmatic design and scheduling considerations.

The evidence from the English materials in this report can be verified in full within the translated Spanish materials.

Evidence includes but is not limited to: 

The curriculum provides daily routines, meaningful learning experiences, and lesson support designed for a full day of instruction. The materials also support half-day programs. There are lessons and activities for each component of the daily schedule for two-year-olds, three-year-olds, four-year-olds, and kindergarten-age children. 

The “Introduction” to Volume 6 of the “Foundation” resource shows the progression of skill development that is utilized by the teacher for informing instruction. The materials support both full-day and half-day programs and provide recommendations for implementation and scheduling in Foundation, Volume 1, Chapters 2–4. The materials support lesson planning through the “Teach” tab on the online portal, where educators can find a customizable planning template. The “Teaching Guides” support the daily schedule presented in the Foundation, Volume 1. For example, in the “First Six Weeks” Teaching Guide, the materials outline “Circle Time,” “Large Group,” “Small Group,” “Choice Time,” and “Read Aloud.” The “Getting Started” Guide includes a “Planning Your Daily Schedule” section to support LEAs in implementing the curriculum into a district’s prekindergarten program. Materials state, “This guide, along with other resources and materials that together comprise the Creative Curriculum for Texas, was created for the express purpose of supporting you in your critically important work with children.”

The materials begin with an initial Teaching Guide, “The First Six Weeks,” and end the year with the Teaching Guide “Getting Ready for Kindergarten.” The remaining Teaching Guides do not follow a progression of implementation because they are selected and implemented under the direction of the educator and the burgeoning interests of students. The materials within each Teaching Guide build on the developmental progression of skills and provide opportunities for scaffolded instruction via “Intentional Teaching Experiences Cards” to meet the needs of individual students. Each of the Teaching Guides includes a “Preparing for Wow! Experiences” section with a list of each day’s activities and investigations to be implemented during a week’s study. 

The “Scope and Sequence” is a visual guide that supports teaching students, starting with the child’s current skill level. For example, the “Area of Development for 3-year-olds for Writing” is a document with a sequence of writing development for the teacher to follow throughout the year. The skill is developed along developmental stages: at the beginning, the child attempts to write his or her name using controlled linear scribbles; in the middle of the year, the child attempts to write using linear scribbles and mock letters or letter-like form; at the end of the year, the child attempts to write to convey meaning using string-like form.

The Teach component on the online portal provides the teacher with a lesson plan template to adjust to individual classroom needs, supporting lesson planning. The following template components can be adjusted: Choice Time, Question of the Day, Read Aloud, Small Groups, Mighty Minutes, Large Group, Outdoor Experiences, and Family Partnerships. This supports LEAs in using the curriculum within different programs. 

Evaluation for 11.4
Materials provide guidance on fostering connections between home and school.

The evidence from the English materials in this report can be verified in full within the translated Spanish materials.

Evidence includes but is not limited to: 

The materials provide a variety of resources that cultivate relationships between the school and families as well as between teachers and families. “Foundation,” Volume 1, Chapter 5, “Partnering with Families” includes support for the teacher in developing family connections. For example, it includes the sections “Getting to Know Families,” “Making Families Feel Welcome,” “Communicating with Families,” and “Family Engagement in the Classroom.” 

Within each “Teaching Guide,” the materials include a letter to families that introduces the topic of study and facilitates opportunities for families to get involved. The letter is available in both English and Spanish. The “What You Can Do At Home” section of the letter supports students’ learning throughout the unit. For example, in the “Boxes” Teaching Guide, one of these recommendations is “Explore a variety of boxes with your child and talk about each box’s characteristics. How big is it? What is it made of? Are there pictures of words on it?” The letter also includes a list of vocabulary words related to the topic of study. 

Within each Teaching Guide, the “Week at a Glance” has a “Family Partnerships” section. In the “Wheels” Teaching Guide, the section recommends “Invite families to contribute photos, books, and materials related to wheels to the classroom collection. Invite families to join the class on a walk to look for wheels during large group on Day 3.” 

A photo library provides PDF files with pictures for family learning. These are aligned to themes, including “First Six Weeks,” “Ball Study,” “Exercise,” “Trees,” “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle,” and “Buildings.”

The digital platform includes a “Family” menu button that the teacher can use to share digital and PDF resources with families. The “Connect to Ready Rosie” button takes parents to an online, interactive learning platform. It contains videos of modeled activities and resources for parents to use at home to meet the objectives of each lesson.

Evaluation for 11.5
The visual design of student and teacher materials (whether in print or digital) is neither distracting nor chaotic.

The evidence from the English materials in this report can be verified in full within the translated Spanish materials.

Evidence includes but is not limited to: 

Within each “Teaching Guide,” visuals are relevant to the units of study and support student understanding and vocabulary development. Materials use authentic pictures. Each Teaching Guide includes “Make Time For” in the margin of each “At a Glance, Exploring the Topic” overview. It includes tips for the teacher on how to incorporate outdoor experiences, family experiences, and “Wow!” experiences. This section is visually designed to be easily located, with attention to white space. Visual aids within the materials are not distracting; visuals are engaging and support learning. 

The materials include “big books” and picture books, which include authentic pictures and text for daily read-alouds. The big books are connected to the units explored in the curriculum as well as to the content domains. For example, the materials include the big book “Who Wears That?” which supports the “Social Studies” domain. The Children’s Book Collection contains books with simple text and colorful pictures, which are supportive of children’s learning. The Collection uses bold letters for titles and vocabulary. Authentic pictures are supported by child-friendly descriptions. Vocabulary cards, big books, read-alouds, and picture cards accompany each Teaching Guide unit. The pictures in these resources do not distract. The resources provide authentic examples for students, make good use of white space, use colorful pictures, and use simple text formats.