Connections: English Language Arts

Develop students' critical reading, analysis, and writing skills

Literature you love—high-interest themes and thought-provoking essential questions build engagement as students become immersed in outstanding literary and nonfiction selections.
Easy to use—the step-by-step lesson design focuses students on a key learning objective as they read the selection; annotate the text; apply the targeted skill; and respond through discussion, writing, and collaborative activities.
All the support you need—powerful classroom management tools including assessments, differentiation support, performance reports, PowerPoint lessons, extension activities, and integration into your existing LMS.
Interactive Editions with writing and language eBook skills support feature a range of learning tools to improve comprehension, close reading and text analysis, discussion and collaboration, and much more.

Literature Based Learning

Reading success begins with great literature—an outstanding selection paired with a thought-provoking essential question sets the context.
Each reading of a selection has a purpose and employs a targeted reading or analysis skill.
Using textual evidence, students apply the skill through discussion, collaborative activities, and writing.

Outstanding Literature

High-interest themes and thought-provoking essential questions in areas such as

Current events—diversity in society; equality and justice; knowing right from wrong; trusting what you hear, see, and read; the impact of technology on jobs; the costs of innovation.
Themes—family, decisions, story-telling, horror, journey, freedom, identity and the forces that shape us, physical appearance, crime and punishment.
Culture and History—the Native American experience, how history shapes us, how ideas bring about change, the impact of war, the role of women over time.

Research-Based Instructional Design

The step-by-step lesson design is focused on a single learning objective and carefully scaffolded to maximize student success.

Text-based questions focus students' reading attention.
Easy-to-use tools allow students to collect textual evidence as they read.
Graphic organizers help students analyze evidence.
Small group, large group, and online discussion activities encourage a collaborative, inclusive learning experience.
Real-time progress monitoring checks understanding and pinpoints learning gaps.

Writing and Language Minilessons

In-depth instructional support, practice, and assessment for writing genres including narrative, argumentative, expository, and research. Comprehensive support for all language standards. Minilessons feature

Short, focused instruction.
Models, rubrics, and reference tables.
Guided instruction and practice.
ELL and differentiation support.
Online and printable practice and assessment.
Writing and language print resources are available. Additional details

Flexible implementation

Comprehensive standards coverage and a modular design permits easy integration into your curriculum; select exactly what you need for your students.

Interactive editions with writing and language eBook skills support feature a range of learning tools to improve comprehension, close reading and text analysis, writing, and discussion and collaboration.
Print resources include Connections English Language Arts Student Edition and Teacher Edition, Writing & Language Student Handbook and Teacher Edition, and consumable Writing Practice and Language Practice skillbooks.