Benchmark Education Announces Texas Benchmark Workshop and Texas Benchmark Taller in English and Spanish for K-5 to Meet Texas Standards

NEW ROCHELLE, NY, Oct. 10, 2018—Literacy publisher Benchmark Education Company (BEC) introduced Texas Benchmark Workshop and Benchmark Taller in Texas —combined print and digital resources for grades K to 5 in English and Spanish for reading, phonics and word study, and writing. Both resources are aligned to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) and Spanish Language Arts and Reading (SLAR), and to the Texas English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS). The resources are designed to support responsive teaching and biliteracy with curriculum aligned within and across grade levels and are available now.

The unique architecture of Texas Benchmark Workshop and Texas Benchmark Taller offers efficiency, flexibility, and choice to Texas teachers. Workshop modules work together or stand on their own and can be conveniently mixed and matched to meet individual classroom needs. Because modules connect through topics and skills, in combination they provide a comprehensive solution for integrated reading, writing, listening, thinking, and speaking instruction. Additionally, Grades K-5 are connected through ten vertically-aligned knowledge strands focused on literary, science, social studies, and genre to build content-area concepts and vocabulary and to enable students to make connections from grade to grade.

Texas Benchmark Workshop and Texas Benchmark Taller were developed by recognized pedagogical leaders, including Linda Hoyt, Adria Klein, Debbie Whitt Jarzombek, Wiley Blevins, Silvia Dorta-Duque de Reyes, and many others—all instructional innovators whose professional work is grounded in real-world classroom practice. In addition, each modular workshop is supported with professional development provided by trainers who are experts in comprehensive literacy.

“Texas educators will find in Benchmark Workshop and Benchmark Taller a comprehensive and distinctive instructional solution for dual language—fully parallel and equitable English and Spanish resources, and complete alignment to both English and Spanish Language Arts standards. Language development for biliteracy is targeted at point of use for both Spanish and English learners, and phonics scope and sequence and grammar instruction are unique to each language. Both English and Spanish are represented in the high-quality literature included in Texas Benchmark Workshop and Texas Benchmark Taller, in new texts written and illustrated by author.

“In addition to our focus on biliteracy and 100 percent coverage of ELAR and SLAR TEKS, a chief concern in developing Texas Benchmark Workshop was to provide support for teachers as instructional decision-makers,” said Tom Reycraft, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Benchmark Education. “A host of tools provides scaffolds for readers and promotes constructive conversations and whole- to small-group strategy transfer. And throughout each workshop, social and emotional mindfulness has been emphasized, with a goal of fostering in every classroom a learning community that reflects students’ cultures and experiences.”

Embedded in the modular character of Texas Benchmark Workshop and Texas Benchmark Taller is the recognition that flexibility for teachers is key. Workshop resources allow teachers to build a workshop that is appropriate for their literacy block, making it easy for them to customize daily pacing to meet their own requirements and challenges.

Texas Benchmark Workshop and Texas Benchmark Taller provide sufficient materials for the experienced workshop teacher, as well as greater depth of support and scaffolding for the teacher new to the workshop model. Texas teachers at all levels of experience can rely on these modules to deliver literacy instruction of consistently high quality that emphasizes student engagement and supports the development of autonomous, independent learners. Fully accessible for students with disabilities (Braille, large-print, audio), technology-compatible with all devices, and easily integrated with student information systems (SIS) and learning management systems (LMS).

Features

Modules are comprised of efficient 3-week units, all 100 percent digital, including interactive ebooks, videos, e-Planner, take-home letters and activities, and STAAR-formatted assessments. Single-topic units within Reader’s Workshop focus on genres and on a cluster of TEKS and ELPS skills, with targeted whole-group mini-lessons and small-group reading instruction supported with tools for one-on-one conferring. Ongoing assessment includes STAAR-formatted digital and print assessments, as well as observational assessments to inform instructional decisions.

Responsiveness to the needs of each individual reader is a chief goal of instruction in Texas Benchmark Workshop and Texas Benchmark Taller, and a central element of Reader’s Workshop is a robust Responsive Teaching Toolkit. The Toolkit provides the resources needed to support student-centered teaching and learning during the whole-group, small-group, and independent parts of the daily workshop, including professional guides to best practices, flip charts with visual cues to support transfer, prompting cards with gradual-release strategies to scaffold students, and tips for productive reading conferences.

The Phonics & Word Study Workshop offers explicit, systematic instruction with authentic reading and writing application. At the foundation of instruction is a purposeful scope and sequence that moves students from exposure to mastery to transfer into reading and writing opportunities. Reteaching and reinforcement are emphasized as students move from whole group to small group.

Availability

Texas Benchmark Workshop and Texas Benchmark Taller modules are available through Benchmark Education Company. A computer or device with internet access is required to access the digital components. For information, or to place an order, educators can visit www.benchmarkworkshop.com/texas or call the company at 877-236-2465.

ABOUT BENCHMARK EDUCATION COMPANY

Headquartered in New Rochelle, NY, Benchmark Education Company is a leading publisher of PreK-12 core, supplemental, and intervention literacy resources in English and Spanish. These resources are supported by instructional technology solutions as well as onsite and online customized professional development training for teachers and administrators. Benchmark Education’s print and online resources are research-based and differentiated to support all learners in a wide variety of instructional settings. In addition to extensive educational use in the USA, Benchmark Education resources are also used in schools and training centers in Europe, the Middle East, Canada, South America, and Asia.