Ready4Reading Evidence Portfolio
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multiple modalities (e.g., direct instruction, text, audio, visual representations, and multimedia) and students are provided differentiated formats and multiple mechanisms through which they demonstrate their learning (e.g., vocal response, audio recordings, multiple-choice assessments, drag-and-drop games, and interactive manipulatives). Program texts are designed to reflect diverse characters, cultures, and student interests, and are designed to be culturally responsive for students. The program’s instructional design also incorporates features aimed at enhancing student autonomy. The program’s “teach, practice, apply, and prove” model provides a sequenced framework for students to gradually develop independence with completing learning tasks. Through this gradual release model, teachers first explicitly model phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension strategies aloud, demonstrating their thought processes to students. Next, teachers cue and prompt students in discussion with the aim of helping students build connections between what is being taught with what they already know. Students are then provided practice opportunities and opportunities to discuss new concepts in small groups. In the final stage, students independently practice their new reading skills using the program’s Short Read Decodables and Read to Know Text Sets. The program materials and texts are aimed at fostering student curiosity in content- connected texts. As outlined, topics covered in these texts are aimed to be engaging for students and include those related to English language arts, science (e.g., animals and plants, earth and space, health and safety, physical science and engineering), and social studies (geography, history, communities, and economics), among others. Likewise, Short Read Decodables and Read to Know Text Sets include a diverse array of fiction genres aimed at appealing to young learners, including realistic fiction, humorous fiction, fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, folktale, and mystery. In addition to these features, Ready4Reading teacher materials provide explicit suggestions for differentiating instruction aimed at supporting students performing below grade level. These include the following: • In alphabet lessons, students are guided to count the number of letters in high-frequency words, and then build these words using magnetic letter tiles. For students below grade level expectations, the program also encourages students to listen to an audio reading of the story before the whole group lesson. Program materials also guide teachers on how to conduct an echo-read and discuss key ideas and vocabulary. Printable learning activities are also available in the program’s “ Teacher Hub ” to extend learning and provide additional challenges for students. • In phonics lessons, program materials offer suggestions on modifying activities by having students address an abbreviated strategic subset of words to help manage cognitive load. Here, teachers are provided recommendations on selecting certain high-utility words and building differentiated instruction accordingly. • In word study lessons, program materials provide suggestions for modifying an inflectional ending lesson by focusing on words with one ending pronunciation at a time. For instance, teachers are provided guidance to begin with regular verbs that end with /t/ or /d/, to elicit the /ed/ ending sound, before moving to other verbs eliciting similar ending sounds.
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