Middle School » LearningList

New Review: Healthy Futures of Texas’ Big Decisions Making Informed Choices About Sex

June 28, 2022December 9, 2021

Is your district considering materials to support instruction in sexual health and wellness? Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of Healthy Futures of Texas’ Big Decisions Making Informed Choices About Sex

Healthy Futures of Texas’ Big Decisions Making Informed Choices About Sex is a supplemental health program designed to support instruction about sexual health and wellness. Learning List recently reviewed the digital format of this material as submitted for state adoption in Texas under Proclamation 2022.

New Product Review: Edmentum’s Texas English 6-8

August 30, 2022January 1, 2021

Does your district need instructional materials to support middle school students who have selected home learning? Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of Edmentum’s Texas English 6-8.

Edmentum’s Texas English 6-8 provides a fully digital, comprehensive program for middle school English Language Arts. The material provides a variety of activities to support students’ development of reading and writing skills. The goal of the program is to provide rigorous, relevant instruction through interactive, media-rich content.

New Product: Maneuvering the Middle for TEKS

October 5, 2023November 13, 2019

Do your teachers need new middle school math resources? Take a look at Learning List’s review of Maneuvering the Middle. Maneuvering the Middle is a set of print-based math resources for students in grades 6-8 and Algebra I. The resources are organized on the Maneuvering the Middle website. The organization and structure of the material make it easy to use …

New Instructional Materal Reviews: Carnegie Math Solutions

July 24, 2022September 26, 2019

Are you looking for a math program that encourages collaboration and communication about math? Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of Carnegie Learning’s Math Solutions.

Carnegie Learning’s Math Solutions is a comprehensive math program for students in grades 6-12. Learning List recently reviewed middle school courses 2 and 3 and high school Integrated Math I.

New Product: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Into Literature for High School ELA (CCSS)

July 15, 2022August 12, 2019

Are your teachers ready for new ELA materials for high school? Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Into Literature.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Into Literature is a comprehensive literacy program that supports English language arts instruction for grades 9 through 12. Content is available in print and digital formats. Instruction develops students’ reading, writing, listening, speaking, and thinking skills with learning activities that provide numerous opportunities and structures for effective group and partner work.

Into Literature integrates reading and writing instruction. The program provides an abundance of high-quality, thought provoking reading selections. Text sets for each unit correlate to numerous themes and topics. Formal writing instruction occurs at the end of units and generally serves as a culminating task.

New Review: Heinemann’s Units of Study in Reading Middle School Grades

June 28, 2022April 25, 2019

Which instructional materials is your district considering for reading instruction in middle school? Particularly if you are implementing the reading workshop model, consider Learning List’s review of Heinemann’s Units of Study in Reading Middle School Grades (Units of Study Reading).

Units of Study Reading is a supplemental reading product for students in grades 6 through 8. The program is primarily an instructional narrative for teachers and includes print and online teaching resources. Lucy Calkins’ workshop model underpins the framework for reading instruction focusing on developing avid readers who choose and understand increasingly complex texts. Units are not specific to a grade level which means district or campus staff sequence the units based on the district’s curriculum, availability of resources, and student needs or reading levels. Teachers without prior experience in teaching writing workshop will require significant professional development and time to study materials and resources to ensure successful implementation. [Read more. . . ]

New Product: Heinemann’s Units of Study in Writing

June 28, 2022April 1, 2019

Which instructional materials is your district considering for writing instruction? Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of Heinemann’s Units of Study in Opinion, Information, and Narrative Writing^TM (Grades K-5) and Heinemann’s Units of Study in Argument, Information, and Narrative Writing^TM (Grades 6-8) (Units of Study Writing).

Units of Study Writing is a supplemental writing product for students in grades K-8. The program is primarily an instructional narrative for teachers and includes print and online teaching resources. Lucy Calkins’ workshop model underpins the framework for writing instruction in this series. Teachers without prior experience in teaching writing workshop will require significant professional development and time to study materials and resources to ensure successful implementation.

Units of Study Writing dovetails with Heinemann’s Units for Reading^TM, which Learning List has reviewed. Both products use similar structures, instructional strategies, and vocabulary across grade levels and content areas. This provides seamless transitions for students from grade to grade. Learning List’s alignment reports show how the material’s vertical alignment of skills guide teachers in supporting students at all proficiency levels. [Read more. . . ]

New Curriculum Review: McGraw Hill’s Reveal Math

September 6, 2022March 17, 2019

Is your district looking for a new comprehensive math program to support blended learning? Take a look at Learning List’s curriculum review of McGraw Hill’s Reveal Math for middle school mathematics, Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra 2

McGraw Hill’s Reveal Math is a set of comprehensive materials for middle school mathematics, Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra 2 available in print and online. The material is designed with a focus on rigor, productive struggle and facilitating discussions about math. Lessons focus on exploration, conversation and reflection.

Reveal Math distinct tools and design support learning in blended environments. Interactive presentations, point of use videos, animations, and a varied set of online math modeling tools partner with the interactive student edition to provide a unique classroom environment and personalize learning. Videos support teachers’ development of content knowledge and pedagogy, and digital teacher tools facilitate lesson and grade management, monitoring student progress, and assessment. [Read more...]

New Product Review: Savvas’s myPerspectives Texas

July 21, 2022October 29, 2018

Learning List recently reviewed Savvas’s myPerspectives Texas, which was submitted for state adoption in Texas in response to 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). myPerspectives Texas is a comprehensive product that supports English language arts instruction in grades 6-12. Learning List reviewed resources for grades 6-8. Content is available in print and online formats and facilitates instruction in blended learning environments.

myPerspectives Texas is a student-centered program that develops close reading skills and students’ ability to communicate effectively in written and spoken formats. At each grade level, content is organized in five 6-week thematic units (e.g., “Facing Adversity”). As its title suggests, myPerspectives explores authors’ points-of-view and helps students develop their own perspectives. Units present a balance of literary and informational texts and a variety of genres from a range of time periods. Readings have diverse authorship and represent protagonists and themes that reflect a variety of experiences, support inclusion, and facilitate understanding. Instruction provides opportunities for students to respond to non-print texts, such as videos, radio plays, and television interviews. [Read more…]

New Product Review: StrongMind Middle School

August 12, 2022October 17, 2018

Learning List recently reviewed StrongMind, which was submitted for state adoption in Texas in response to 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). StrongMind provides online “courseware” that supports instruction in the core subject areas and some electives (e.g., art history, career and technology courses) in middle school and high school grades. Instruction is designed for self-paced and credit-recovery programs and blended learning environments. Learning List reviewed English language arts resources for Texas middle school students.

At each grade level, StrongMind’s Texas middle school content is organized in two semester-long courses. Each semester is made up of six units that are loosely organized around a theme. For example, a grade 7 unit titled “Putting It In Order” includes lessons addressing informational texts, such as chapters from Helen Keller’s “The Story of My Life,” and writing an informational essay. [Read more…]

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