Kindergarten - Gateway 2

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria that texts are organized around a topic/topics to build students’ ability to read and comprehend complex texts independently and proficiently. The text sets within each unit that the whole class hears during read alouds build students’ knowledge in the units. The same topic is addressed in small group reading and in the Learning Stations.

The eight units contain topics about science or social studies content. Over the course of four weeks per unit, students participate in listening, reading, writing, and discussion around a science or social studies topic and a Big Question.

Examples of units throughout the program that are organized around a topic include:

• In Unit 2, students read about the social studies topic, family. They read songs, poems, picture books, folktales, stories, and a fairy tale to answer the question, "What do families do together?" Specific topics each week under this broad category include family members, family activities, meals and food, and being together. Texts include Gio and his Family by George Ancona, Families by Cory Phillips, Feast for 10 by Cathryn Falwell, and You and Me Together by Barbara Kerley.
• In Unit 4, students read and learn about plants by focusing on the Big Question, "How are plants alike and different?" Students read poems, folktales, fairy tales, informational articles, photo essays, and stories. The individual topics each week include making plants grow, the life cycle of plants, plants that people use, and plants and animals. Texts include Sofia and the Sunflower by Guadalupe V. Lopez, Seeds by Douglas Florian, Apples by Jennifer Peters, and Hurt No Living Thing by Christina Rossetti.
• In Unit 6, the social studies topic is town and students study how communities are different. Over the course of four weeks, students read stories, fables, songs, and folktales to address the Big Question. Students learn about places to live, places to go, transportation, and mapping the community. Texts include Race Day by Hector Ramirez, Flowers Around Town by Shirleyann Costigan, The Bus for Us by Suzanne Bloom, and Bear About Town by Stella Blackstone.
• In Unit 8, the science topic is the sun, moon, and stars. Students read folktales, poems, and lullabies in order to explain what is in the sky. Throughout the four week unit, students learn about waking and sleeping, the day sky, day and night, and the night sky. Texts include The Night is Singing by Jacqueline Davies, Why the Sun Comes Up When, The Story of the Sun and the Moon by Kenn Nesbitt, and Live in the Sky, retold by Lada Josefa Kratky.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria that materials contain sets of coherently sequenced questions and tasks that require students to analyze the language (words/phrases), key ideas, details, craft, and structure of individual texts in order to make meaning and build understanding of texts and topics.

Throughout the program, students are asked a series of questions to help them analyze the details, key ideas, and structure of individual texts. Weekly lessons focus on a different reading comprehension skill such as identifying main idea and detail, cause and effect, and sequencing. Toward the end of the curriculum, questions begin to prompt students to refer to the text.

Examples of a series of coherently sequenced questions and tasks about analyzing details and structure include:

• In Unit 1, Week 2, the teacher reads aloud, Come with Me to School. Students learn about text structure by learning that things happen in a specific order or sequence. Students use the text and fill out a three-column chart to identify the beginning, middle, and end. Students use keyword cards to prompt responses for what happens in school in each column.
• In Unit 2, Week 3, students listen to The Donut and learn about sequence. Students are asked questions about sequence: "What happens at the beginning of the story? What happens next? What happens at the end of the story?"
• In Unit 3, Week 4, students listen to the text, Amazing Animal Facts. Students learn about compare and contrast. Students are asked, "How are people like other animals? How are people different from sharks? What is one way people are different from all animals?"
• In Unit 4, Week 1, students listen to the folktale, The Four Friends. Students learn about cause and effect. After listening to the story, the teacher explains that they will use details in the story to think about what happens and why and answer questions: "Why does the monkey put dark soil around the elephant's back? What is the effect of doing that? What happens at the end of the story? Why were the animals able to share the apples?"
• In Unit 5, Week 4, students are asked questions requiring them to analyze details as they learn about the skill of visualizing: "What details help them imagine what the window looks like? What details help them picture the palm trees?"
• In Unit 7, Week 3, students learn about topic, main idea, and details as they listen to the article, A Firefighter’s Tools. Questions focus on details: "How do a mask and air tank help a firefighter? Why do firefighters need to use long hoses?"

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria that materials include a cohesive, year-long plan for students to interact with and build key academic vocabulary words in and across texts.

The instruction materials have a daily emphasis on vocabulary. Some of the activities involve learning the word, while others focus and aid in the comprehension and building of knowledge.

There are three vocabulary routines listed in the Best Practices section in the Teacher’s Edition. One is the Introduce Word routine where students begin by repeating the word and rating the word using a thumb up or thumb down. The teacher defines the word for the students and then together they work on elaborating. The teacher often has students talk about the word, give examples and non examples, and connect the word across content areas. Examples of the implementation of this routine include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Day 2, students are introduced to the Key Words, friend and share. Routine 1 is carried out and then the students hear the story, My School Day, where the words are used.
• In Unit 3, Week 3, Day 2, students learn four key science words (adult, baby, parent, young), before hearing a book called Baby Names. All four words are prevalent in the story and important to know in order to understand the book.
• In Unit 6, Week 2, Day 2, students learn the Key Word, store. They learn about it out of context using this vocabulary routine, but then read a story about a store. On the next day, the students review all of the words from this unit with a partner.

The second routine is the Expand Word Knowledge where students work in pairs using a graphic organizer, which is often a four corners: word, picture, word in context, and definition. Students are then assigned keywords for the graphic organizer. Examples of the implementation of this routine include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 6, Week 1, Day 3, students make a “window” (piece of paper laid horizontally and with ¼ of each side folded in toward the centerline of the paper to create two flaps) for the word weather. Students write the word on the left-hand flap and draw a picture to represent the word on the right-hand flap.
• In Unit 7, Week 3, Day 3, students make a Four Corners graphic organizer with a small group to illustrate and define a single word from the week’s vocabulary.

The final vocabulary routine is the Share Word Knowledge where pairs are formed and students share their filled-in graphic organizer from the second routine. Then they discuss and write sentences in their journals with the words. Examples of the implementation of this routine include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 5, Week 3, Day 4, students use the 4 Corner Posters they made the day before for the week’s Key Words. They follow the routine to share their knowledge of the words then write sentences to accompany them on the back of the posters.
• In Unit 7, Week 1, Day 4, students use the window they created to share a vocabulary word with a partner. Each student shows their window, reads his or her sentence, and talks about the word. Then, the students work together to write additional sentences.

In addition to learning new vocabulary words, students also learn vocabulary strategies. These lessons occur on Weeks 2 and 4 of the unit. Examples include:

• In Unit 3, Week 2 students review that a noun names a person, place, thing, or idea and that an action verb tells what someone or something does. The teacher then reads sentences and explains that sentences can have multiple nouns or verbs in the sentence. Students read a variety of sentences that contain Key Words and identify nouns and verbs.
• In Unit 6, Week 4, students learn about compound words. Students work in partnerships to define compound words. They do this over the course of several days.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten partially the criteria that materials include a progression of focused, shared research and writing projects to encourage students to develop knowledge and understanding of a topic using texts and other source materials.

Over the course of the year, Kindergarten students have some opportunities to learn different components of research skills such as using sources and encyclopedias. Students also have opportunities to contribute to class books, such as Things to Read and a class encyclopedia on animals. There are points of practice within the materials for students to demonstrate individual research components with texts.

Examples include:

• In Unit 1, Week 2, students draw a picture and complete the sentence frame: I like to read _____. Teachers are prompted to bind student work together to make a class book, Things to Read.
• In Unit 3, Week 2, students practice identifying and collating facts about animals. Students choose an animal and write facts about it after they have read about different farm animals. In the cross-curricular activity in this unit, students practice classifying farm animals. They use photos to discuss and sort animals.
• In Unit 3, students learn about an encyclopedia and create an encyclopedia page for the class encyclopedia on animals.
• In Unit 6, Week 2, students make a map about a place in the community. They complete the sentence frames: My page shows the ____. I get ____ at the ____. Student pages are then organized into a community map.
• In Unit 7, Week 1, the teacher guides students through creating a job ad using information from the read-aloud, Help Wanted!
• In Unit 9, Week 2, students complete a unit project that includes creating a book about what they have learned. The students divide their books into two chapters, At School and Outside of School. They create a cover, title, and name the author. The book include skills and activities they learn at school and outside of school.