These are trade books, written by excellent authors and illustrated by talented artists, which are appealing to students and teachers alike. Students will be pleased to be able to read the same books their native English-speaking peers are reading. Teachers will rejoice at the quality of the writing and illustrations. These books are a far cry from the simplified, poorly-illustrated fare we too often serve to our ESL students. In addition to one book that is the focus of the literature-based section of each unit, there is an ESL library that includes two additional related titles for each unit, one appropriate for lower proficiency levels and one for higher levels.
Lessons begin with what the students know.
The language and concepts needed for the literature and content lessons are developed extensively before those lessons are taught. Suggestions for teaching the program in various contexts, written by teachers who have used it, are included in the Teacher's Guide. Students do like to have their own books, however, especially ESL students who may not be able to participate fully in other subjects. At the upper grades, however, the lack of student textbooks becomes more crucial than simply being a matter of student preference. Beginning in fourth grade, elementary students are more and more often required to read textbooks to gain information.