Specifications include, but are not limited to: a. Aligns with the Iowa Core Literacy Standards. b. A content-rich core curriculum with effective evidence-based teaching practices. c. Includes universal instruction, which aligns with Scarborough's Rope and the 5 Pillars of Reading Instruction. i. Phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension ii. Phonological awareness, decoding, sight recognition, background knowledge, vocabulary, language structures, verbal reasoning, and literacy knowledge d. Provides opportunities for differentiation and intensification with special populations, including systematic, explicit, and comprehensive instruction. e. Provides a personalized plan for districts based on needs, available resources, and technology. For example, districts might require print, digital, or a hybrid version of the materials based on access to technology. f. Allows teachers to access all manuals, instructional materials, and content using a learning management system. g. Provides decodable readers for students that align with word recognition instructional scope and sequence. h. Uses writing that includes explicit encoding instruction as well as explicit instruction in written syntax and structures to reinforce reading skills being developed. i. Provides complex, knowledge-based text for shared reading experiences to support vocabulary development and expansion of student background schema. j. Includes intervention and progress monitoring materials to address areas of reading, including concepts of print, phonics, phonological awareness, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary.
