English Language Arts And Reading

New Product Review: Perfection Learning Connections

August 12, 2022September 21, 2018

Learning List recently reviewed Perfection Learning’s Connections, which was submitted for state adoption in Texas in response the Texas Education Agency’s Proclamation 2019 call for K-8 English language arts and reading (ELAR) products aligned to the new ELAR Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Connections is a comprehensive product that supports ELAR instruction in grades 6-12. Content is available in print and digital formats. Learning List’s review is of resources for grades 6-8.

At each middle school grade level, Connections is organized in four units that address cross-curricular themes and center on an Essential Question. For example, the fourth unit at grade 7 considers the following Essential Question: “What does history teach us about ourselves?” Units include literary and informational texts related to the theme. Lexile levels for each selection are provided in teacher editions. [Read more…]

New Curriculum Review: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Into Reading Texas

August 12, 2022September 13, 2018

Learning List recently reviewed Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Into Reading Texas, which was submitted for state adoption in Texas in response the Texas Education Agency’s Proclamation 2019 call for K-8 English language arts and reading (ELAR) products aligned to the new ELAR Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Into Reading is a comprehensive product that supports ELAR instruction in grades K-6. Content is available in print and digital formats. Learning List reviewed online resources for grades K-5. Instruction develops students’ reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills using authentic texts from a variety of genres.

Across grades, Into Reading is organized in multi-week modules that provide access to a variety of authentic texts at varying levels of complexity. Modules are thematic and include cross-curricular topics, such as a “Global Guardians” module at grade 4 that integrates content from conservation science. Modules are organized around an essential question (e.g., “What does it take to meet a challenge?”). Reading selections include a variety of authentic, age-appropriate literary and informational texts related to the essential question. Selections include a variety of genres (e.g., historical fiction, narrative non-fiction) and representations of diverse cultures and characters. Each text has vivid illustrations that support comprehension and engage student interest. [Read more…]

New Product Review: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Into Literature Texas

August 14, 2022September 12, 2018

Learning List recently reviewed Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Into Literature Texas, which was submitted for state adoption in Texas in response the Texas Education Agency’s Proclamation 2019 call for K-8 English language arts and reading (ELAR) products aligned to the new ELAR Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Into Literature is a comprehensive product that supports ELAR instruction in grades 6-8. Content is available in print and digital formats. Learning List reviewed online resources. Instruction develops students’ reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills using authentic texts from a variety of genres.

At each grade level, Into Literature is presented in six units that center on an Essential Question that links reading selections, frames the unit’s theme, and connects to students’ experiences. For example, a grade 7 unit titled “Change Agents” considers the question: “What inspires you to make a difference?” Units address cross-curricular topics such as the Civil War in an eighth-grade unit titled “The Fight for Freedom” and space science in a sixth-grade unit titled “The Terror and Wonder of Space.” Units include literary and informational texts and a set of “Studios” (e.g., “Reading Studio”) that integrate activities in the domains of literacy (i.e., reading, writing, listening, and speaking) as well as vocabulary and grammar. [Read more…]

New Product Review: The College Board’s SpringBoard English Language Arts and Language Workshop

August 12, 2022September 5, 2018

Learning List recently reviewed the College Board’s SpringBoard English Language Arts and Language Workshop middle school resources (i.e., grades 6-8), which were submitted for state adoption in Texas in response the Texas Education Agency’s Proclamation 2019 call for K-8 English language arts and reading (ELAR) products aligned to the new ELAR Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Both resources focus on developing English language arts skills through active learning. At each grade level, instruction emphasizes the development of the knowledge and skills needed for rigorous coursework, including Advanced Placement (AP) courses.

Core content is presented in SpringBoard’s English Language Arts resource. Content at each grade is organized in four thematic units. For example, at grade 6, reading selections address the theme of change. Students explore the concepts of change and growth in their own lives and in the lives of real and imagined characters. Each unit includes a balance of literary and informational texts and opportunities for students to respond to non-print texts, such as photographs and clips from audio recordings and films. For the most part, units incorporate reading selections that present the experiences of diverse individuals and cultures. [Read more…]

New Product Review: Exploros English Language Arts/Reading

August 12, 2022August 20, 2018

Exploros is an open-educational resource (OER) that provides comprehensive products that support instruction in the social studies and English language arts/reading (ELAR) core content areas. Exploros is available at no cost. Content is available online and facilitates instruction in teacher-led, technology-based learning environments, such as 1:1 programs and flipped classrooms. This review is of ELAR resources for grades 4-8.

At each grade level, Exploros organizes content in seven units that address: (1) foundational skills, (2) literary genres, (3) non-fiction texts, (4) author’s craft, (5) personal narrative, (6) the writing process, and (7) inquiry and research. Each unit is made up of a set of “experiences” or lessons that are organized using the 5E model (i.e., engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate). A “scene” or a set of online page(s) is provided for each “E” in the model. Scenes are activities related to the E of the 5E model. For example, the first scene in each lesson/experience is an engagement activity that clarifies the lesson’s learning objectives. [Read more…]

New Product Review: EMC Mirrors & Windows: Connecting with Literature

August 12, 2022August 13, 2018

EMC’s Mirrors & Windows: Connecting with Literature is a comprehensive resource to support English language arts instruction in grades 6-12. The program includes print and web-based resources. In the middle school grades (grades 6-8), instruction uses the theme of “mirrors and windows” to help students use literature to reflect on their own lives and to connect with people from different cultures and times.

Across middle school grades, Mirrors & Windows units are organized in terms of a theme linked to a literary genre. For example, a grade 6 unit that introduces poetry is centered on the theme of “Expressing Yourself.” Each unit is made up of a set of reading selections related to the theme. [Read more…]

New Product Review: Edmentum Study Island

August 12, 2022April 2, 2018

Edmentum’s Study Island is a supplemental online product that helps students in grades K-12 master English language arts/reading (ELAR) standards and prepare for standardized exams. Learning List recently reviewed resources for grades 3-6. Content supports teacher-guided instruction and independent study. Teachers may create their own lessons and assessments using online tools. [Read more…]

New Product Review: Region 4 Education Service Center’s STAAR™ Techniques to Engage Learners in Literacy and Academic Rigor

August 14, 2022March 15, 2018

Texas Region 4 Education Service Center’s STAAR™ Techniques to Engage Learners in Literacy and Academic Rigor (STELLAR) is a test preparation product that supports teachers in preparing students for English language arts and reading STAAR tests in grades 4-8 and high school end-of-course exams in English I-III. Learning List recently reviewed resources for English I and English II.

Content is available in print format. Instruction incorporates thematic reading selections that reflect a variety of genres, application activities, and practice tests formatted to reflect the STAAR end-of-course exam. [Read more…]

New Product Review: Education Galaxy Reading

August 16, 2022January 18, 2018

Education Galaxy is a supplemental, online test preparation program for students in grades K-5. The program supports practice and review for STAAR math, science, reading, and writing tests. Learning List recently reviewed resources for grade 3 reading. The program provides individualized instruction to address learning gaps in students’ mastery of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). [Read more…]

New Product Review: Vocabulary.com

August 16, 2022January 3, 2018

Vocabulary.com is a supplemental online product that supports the development of academic vocabulary across core subject areas in grades 5-12. Content is fully online and some resources, such as vocabulary lists, may be printed. Instruction is adaptive. The program adjusts the level of difficulty based on individual student responses. [Read more…]

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