Essentials in Literature

The curriculum uses grade-appropriate complex texts including classic literature and contemporary works.

Includes challenging novels like The Great Gatsby and Lord of the Flies; incorporates works by Shakespeare, Maya Angelou, and Langston Hughes; balances old and new literature

The curriculum provides direct instruction through video lessons with clear teacher modeling and guided practice.

Video instruction presented by teachers for all lessons; students watch video segments where instructors teach about literary works and clarify activities; icons alert students when to watch videos

The curriculum includes vocabulary instruction through context clues and varied activities beyond simple definition lookup.

Vocabulary lists are provided with activities that use context clues; students write definitions as they encounter words in stories, then compare with dictionary definitions

The curriculum includes one complete novel per grade level plus many shorter literary works available through the Internet.

Students read full novels including Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry; Night; The Hobbit; To Kill a Mockingbird; The Great Gatsby; and Lord of the Flies, along with short stories and poems

The curriculum requires minimal composition work, with mostly brief answers and short essay responses rather than lengthy writing assignments.

Questions often require only brief answers; assessment includes constructed-response questions requiring brief essay answers; Writing Connection assignments are 5-8 sentences; no lengthy essay assignments mentioned

The curriculum makes connections between authors, works, and historical/cultural settings, with exposure to World, American, and British literature.

Students learn to make connections between authors and historical contexts; Levels 10-12 include 'Nonfiction Connection' assignments that require research into historical topics

The curriculum includes teacher handbooks and resource books with guidance, but limited professional development materials.

Teacher handbook explains course use and includes answer keys; Alternative Instructional Strategies document provides accommodation suggestions; answer key sections include sample responses labeled as 'Quality Response' and 'Ineffective Response'

Limited evidence of systematic retrieval practice or spaced review beyond unit assessments.

Assessments included at the end of each unit with multiple-choice and constructed-response questions, but no mention of ongoing review or retrieval practice

Not applicable for this grade range (7-12), as phonics instruction is typically completed in elementary grades.

Curriculum is designed for grades 7-12, well beyond the phonics instruction phase