Blueprint for Reading

Getting Started is a springboard to the selection. An activity, a question, or intriguing information enables the teacher to generate broader student interest.

Background Bytes complements the textbook curriculum and always provides teachers with additional material.

Into the . . . parallels textbook material and clarifies the discussion of theme. It serves as a guide to helping students analyze thematic content.

Focusing on . . . narrows attention to the featured literary component, and expands the discussion of writing, style, tone, and language.


Selection Pages

Summing Up the Plot is a convenient teacher’s guide to the selection, providing a bulleted, page-for-page summary. This is an ideal classroom review of story elements.

Literary Components is a strong lesson tool. Numbers in the margins of the selection text refer teachers to a listing and explanation of the literary component. The numbered, underlined text includes figures of speech, imagery, language, and style, as well as such features as point of view, plot, characterization, setting, atmosphere, foreshadowing, conflict, suspense, rising and falling action, climax, resolution, dialogue, diction, irony, humorous juxtaposition, literary reference, citing authority, and so forth.

Guiding the Reading is a page-for-page listing of literal questions requiring factual recall and analytical questions needing deeper reflection. Guiding the Reading also provides teachers with test questions and answers.

Word Banks define new vocabulary words at the bottom of each page, as they appear in the selection. Consistent pronunciation guide.


Studying the Selection

Analyzing the Poem grapples with thematic implications. Analyzing the Poem provides thoughtful material essential to teaching the poem. It complements, amplifies, and reiterates both textbook and Teacher’s Edition discussion. First Impressions suggests possible responses to the queries posed in the textbook.

Quick Review • Drawing Conclusions
• In-depth Thinking have detailed answers to the questions in the textbook. Material is included for productive class instruction.

Focusing on . . . provides the teacher with a review of the featured literary component, as well as meaningful responses to the textbook questions and activities.

Creating and Writing is the final review element and presents the student with several challenges. Generally, this challenge is one that is creative; it is grounded in the literary form of the selection and in the techniques the selection incorporates. This is where we defer to the expertise of the teacher, as well as to the potentially wide range of student responses.