Teaching Tips
How to Write a Syllabus - Infographic
With the new school year rapidly approaching, you might be prepping a syllabus or two. This infographic can help!
Joel DeMott
Literature
3 Benefits of Pairing Informational Texts with Novels
Pairing nonfiction texts with literature can help your students become better readers of fiction.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach Angela's Ashes
Frank McCourt's poignant memoir details a family's struggles with poverty in 1930s-1940s Ireland.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach Freakonomics
Freakonomics is an irreverent nonfiction text that will help students build critical-thinking skills while they learn about economic theory.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach The Awakening
Kate Chopin's work is a powerful examination of gender roles and social attitudes toward them in the late-19th-century American South.
Teaching Tips
5 Principles for Decorating Your English Classroom
Follow these 5 easy principles for decorating your classroom to build an even better learning environment for your students.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Rebecca Skloot examines the story of the woman behind the world’s first immortal cell line, which aided research in polio, cancer, AIDS, and genetics.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach The Devil in the White City
The Devil in the White City details the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, including the fair's troubled development and the serial killer who used it to lure his victims.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach Divergent
Divergent examines ideas about society and class, governmental control, the construction of identity, and more.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
Anne Frank's diary is one of the most important works of Holocaust literature. Find resources for teaching it here.
Literature
Why Teach Dystopian Literature?
What are some of the benefits of teaching dystopian literature in middle and high school? And what makes these books so appealing to students? Let's explore.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach Death of a Salesman
This modern tragedy examines the American Dream and the pain that results from living a life in which one's dreams go unfulfilled.
Reading
Helping At-Risk Students Read Rigorous Texts
Students who enter your classroom with a below-grade reading level need your help to read tough texts. Here are a few things you can do.
Teaching Tips
What Can You Do With the Last Days of School?
Once all the grades are finalized and the books are put away, use these activities to keep your students interested in class.
Teaching Tips
What Does Rigor Actually Mean?
Rigor's a word that gets bandied about a lot these days. Learn more about how it applies to you and your classroom here.
Free Library
Get Every Free National Poetry Month Poster
National Poetry Month may be over, but you can celebrate poetry all year long with these free downloadable posters.
Literature
What are the Best Film Versions of Shakespeare's Plays?
Thinking about showing your class a film of one of Shakespeare's plays? Read on to see which ones are best for your classroom.
Literature
Exploring Rhetorical Devices in Macbeth's Final Soliloquy
Shakespeare was a master rhetorician, and Macbeth's final soliloquy shows us the Bard at his best.
Literature
Happy Birthday, William Shakespeare!
Celebrate Shakespeare's birthday with us.
Vocabulary
5 Steps to More Powerful Vocabulary Instruction
Giving your students great vocabulary instruction is essential to building better English skills.
Vocabulary
5 Quick Activities for Vocabulary Practice
5 vocabulary activities you can use every day to help your students learn and remember vocabulary words.
Reading
Celebrate Read Across America Day -- March 2
Read Across America Day focuses on encouraging children and teens to read. Celebrate it on March 2nd.
Vocabulary
Here are 5 Creative Ways to Teach Vocab
Looking for ways to make your vocabulary instruction a little more interesting?
Literature
Harper Lee to Release Second Novel
Harper Lee, author of "To Kill a Mockingbird," is releasing her second novel, "Go Set a Watchman," on July 14.
Vocabulary
How Important is Vocabulary Instruction?
How much can explicit vocabulary instruction help your students not only on their educational journey, but beyond?
Teaching Tips
The Dictionary of Education Terms: Individualized Education Program
What is an Individualized Education Program? An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is two things.
Teaching Tips
The Dictionary of Education Terms: Standards
Educational standards define the set of skills and knowledge students are expected to have acquired by the time they complete a course, grade, or grade band.
Teaching Tips
The Dictionary of Education Terms: Bloom's Taxonomy
Bloom's Taxonomy defined and explained - plus a special $5 off coupon for Levels of Understanding Teaching Guides.
Teaching Tips
The Dictionary of Education Terms: Mainstreaming vs. Inclusion
Mainstreaming and inclusion are similar approaches, but they differ in one important aspect.
Teaching Tips
The Dictionary of Education Terms: Cross-curricular
Cross-curricular teaching can help students learn more about multiple subject areas and keep their engagement high.
Literature
The Top 10 Literary Locations that Actually Exist
Immortalized in literature, these places are real -- and you can visit them.
Teaching Tips
The Dictionary of Education Terms: Project-based Learning
What's the difference between project-oriented learning and project-based learning? We have the details.
Literature
The 10 Scariest and Creepiest Creatures in Literature
Literature's most terrifying beasts, demons, ghosts, and more. Come on in for a hauntingly good time.
Teaching Tips
The Dictionary of Education Terms: Rigor
You'll hear "rigorous" used to describe all sorts of things in English/Language Arts. But what does it actually mean? Here's a quick explanation.
Teaching Tips
The Dictionary of Education Terms: Gamification
Gamification, also called games-based learning, is the application of game concepts and/or game mechanics to non-games.
Grammar & Writing
Celebrate the National Day on Writing - Oct. 20th
Students can submit their writing using the hashtag #WriteMyCommunity
Teaching Tips
The Dictionary of Education Terms: Aligned
Lots of teaching resources come with the claim that they're "aligned" with the Common Core State Standards. But what does that term really mean?
Grammar & Writing
5 Essential Texts for AP Language and Composition Prep
Prepping for the AP Language and Composition exam is tough. Your students can get the upper hand with these books.
Teaching Tips
The Dictionary of Education Terms: Literature Circle
What are literature circles, and how can they help your students learn? Answers inside.
Teaching Tips
The Dictionary of Education Terms: Formative Assessment
Formative assessments are great tools for learning more about what your students have learned -- and *how* they learn.
Literature
The Top 10 nonfiction books for the 2014-2015 school year
Here are our Top 10 nonfiction books for this year. They're all great classroom texts, and they'll help your students learn to analyze arguments and examine ideas.
Free Library
Free Lesson: Net Neutrality Research Project and Argument Essay
In this lesson, your students will research Net Neutrality and write an essay in which they argue for or against its resurrection.
Find Our Work on World Art Drop Day
Go on the hunt for some original Prestwick House art. Use the hashtag #artdropday to find some original art near you!
Literature
Six World Lit books you should teach this year
These books will give your students eye-opening glimpses into other cultures.
Literature
Top 10 American Literature books for 2014
Here it is - our Top 10 list of most-taught works of American literature.
Grammar & Writing
Lesson Idea: Students Write a Lesson
In this lesson, your students will write a lesson they would use to teach others about a subject of their choice.
Vocabulary
The Literal Translations of These Vocabulary Words are Fascinating
Some words are more than the sum of their parts. And sometimes, the parts are more entertaining.