A Teacher Created Program that Prepares Students to Excel on English Language Arts Comprehensive Assessments
The High Road to Language Arts is a research-text-based series that matches the goals and principles of State Standards. This new High Road series presents an exciting approach to English Language Arts. A variety of leveled reading selections ensure that students are exposed to a wide range of texts and tasks. Increasingly complex, authentic text provides a “staircase” of skills from grades 1 through 8.
This new series brings a clear, comprehensive application of the State Standards to the classroom. Our books have always emphasized higher level thinking skills at all grade levels. Our new, innovative books have been expanded to meet the State Standards philosophy that content and skills are of equal importance.
Our books are teacher-friendly: skills are taught directly to the students in terms the students will understand. Each question (Objective, Short and Extended Response) matches the applicable State Standard. Supports are in place, giving teachers the option of using them throughout the book or gradually removing them as students gain proficiency.
THE READING SECTION
The Reading Selection
Although practice is provided in all areas of reading, emphasis is on evidential texts to accommodate the greater emphasis on the acquisition of knowledge, the natural curiosity of students, and many students’ relative inexperience in handling this type of text. Selections include:
• Nonfiction articles (biography, history, science, technology)
• Fiction selections (fable, historical fiction, mythology, poetry)
• Single stories and Paired stories (fiction and non-fiction) for comparison/contrast
Support for the Reading Selections: High Road to Language Arts provides the support students need to successfully read and comprehend the text at hand.
Keys to Comprehension: Preceding each reading selection is a Keys to Comprehension page that provides helpful directions to focus students on the text. Teachers may choose to use all or part of the skills on this page to meet the needs of their students.
As You Read: Questions at the bottom of each text page encourage students to self-monitor reading comprehension and vocabulary through a series of questions focused on specific aspects of the text.
Ask Yourself: At the beginning of each selection students are asked about the story they are going to read.
Recite: At the conclusion of each selection students are asked to orally state either the theme, plot, main idea, or summary of the article.
Tips: Preceding each set of Objective Questions are guides to help students in strategies to successfully answer multiple-choice items.
Check (at the conclusion of each set of Objective Questions): provides a brief means for students to recheck their work for completeness and accuracy.
The Objective Questions
Objective questions are designed to guide students in a careful and systematic examination of the text. Questions are text dependent and lead to an in-depth study of essential details and the drawing of logical conclusions from the evidence.
Objective questions in High Road to Language Arts:
• follow a sequential pattern from literal to inferential
• provide practice in evaluation of the text/style
• explore the vocabulary of the text
• require students to return to specific paragraphs or sentences in the text
• require students to cite evidence from the text to support their answers
THE WRITING SECTION
High Road to Language Arts provides instruction and ample practice in both Short Constructed-Response questions and Extended Constructed-Response questions. Each question requires students to demonstrate a clear understanding of the text and to present a response that is narrative, evidential/explanatory, or argument. As with the Objective Questions, the Short Constructed-Response and Extended Constructed-Response questions require students to:
• read inquisitively and carefully
• return to the text to gain greater insight
• cite evidence from the text to support their answers
• present well-developed ideas while demonstrating command of standard written English
Support for the Written Language Section
Keys to Comprehension: Preceding each reading selection is a Keys to Comprehension page that provides helpful directions to focus students on the text. Teachers may choose to use all or part of the skills on this page to meet the needs of their students.
Working with Paired Stories: (grades 4 and up) explores the purpose and skills associated with paired stories.
As You Read: Questions at the bottom of text pages encourage students to self-monitor reading comprehension and vocabulary through a series of questions focused on specific aspects of the text.
The Short Constructed-Response Question:
Answering the Short Constructed-Response Question: a step-by-step approach to effective responses.
Extended Constructed-Response Question:
Answering the Extended Constructed-Response Question: guides the structure of the Extended
Constructed-Response.
Organize Your Extended Constructed-Response: suggests common mistakes to avoid.
Prewriting Graphic Organizer: assists with note taking.
Perfecting Your Skills: provides specific skill instruction and practice for students to upgrade their rough draft.
Revise and Edit: checklist is specific to each assignment.
END OF BOOK TEST
This section of the text may be used to assess acquired skills or as a continued instructional device. It is composed of tasks in the two areas of instruction: Reading and Writing. This section requires independent work; there is no instructional support.