Teaching Tips
What Do Teachers Think About the New School Year?
We asked teachers across the United States to share their thoughts about the upcoming 2020-2021 school year. Here’s what we learned.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach Speak
Laurie Halse Anderson’s story of isolation, grief, and hope provides lessons on symbolism and character development.
Reading
5 Quick Activities for Teaching Informational Texts
Try these five fun activities to keep students engaged with the informational texts you study!
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach The Bean Trees
Considered an early feminist novel, The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingsolver, addresses many societal issues that are still relevant today.
Teaching Tips
Understanding the New Florida B.E.S.T. Standards
Curriculum changes are coming to Florida’s public schools. How will the new B.E.S.T. Standards affect English language arts education in grades K-12?
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Discover resources for and information about teaching Mark Twain's most important work, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Literature
How to Prepare to Teach a Book for the First Time
Are you teaching a new book next year? Get tips on building a great literature unit here!
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach The Book Thief
Find out why Markus Zusak's bestseller is one of the most popular novels in English classrooms around the country.
Vocabulary
Teaching Advanced Vocabulary from Literature
Developing a strategy for teaching advanced vocabulary using literary texts is easy with these tips!
Literature
20 Books to Support Conversations on Race in the Classroom
Literature can help you facilitate discussions about race and other sensitive issues and can give students a safe outlet to examine their thoughts.
Literature
Going Beyond Literal Meaning in Literature
To understand what they’re reading, students must be able to dig deeper than the surface-level literal meanings of words.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach The Odyssey
We know that Homer’s The Odyssey is a daunting text, so we’re here to provide some starting points to propel your lesson planning forward.
Vocabulary
Teaching Vocabulary in Context
Drawing vocabulary from what your students read—literature, news articles, and more—is a great way to ensure they retain these words for life.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach The Autobiography of Malcolm X
The Autobiography of Malcolm X is an essential text from one of the most influential human rights activists in history.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach Ghost
Running on relatable themes and unique motifs, Ghost, by Jason Reynolds, is a surefire way to engage your students through a contemporary text.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach The Freedom Writers Diary
The Freedom Writers Diary is a great nonfiction text for showing students the benefits of personal writing.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach Into the Wild
Start conversations about the advantages and flaws of modern society, consumerism, naturalism, and more with Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild.
Teaching Tips
How to #TeachLivingPoets with Melissa Alter Smith
To learn more about the #TeachLivingPoets movement, we invited Melissa Alter Smith to share her thoughts about poetry in the classroom.
Literature
Top Books About Sports and Athletics for Grades 4-12
From dramatic fiction stories to real-life accounts of athletic achievements, these books about sports are sure to be a slam dunk!
Literature
Diverse and Inclusive Books for Grades 4-12
These 20 books offer diverse perspectives through characters and stories we know readers will enjoy.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach The Poet X
If you’re aiming to slam poetry into the hearts of your students, look no further than Elizabeth Acevedo’s renowned novel-in-verse, The Poet X.
Literature
Thrilling and Mysterious Must-Read Books for Grades 4-12
Add a layer of intrigue to your literature unit with these thrilling and mysterious books that’ll keep students in grades 4-12 hooked until the end!
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach Animal Farm
Animal Farm is an easy but important book for students to read and one that teachers love to teach.
Teaching Tips
Enriching Lesson Ideas for Remote Learning
Find simple ways to keep your students engaged when classes are scheduled remotely during the COVID-19 quarantine.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach The Pearl
John Steinbeck's The Pearl is a parable about the dangers of wealth and greed.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach Tuesdays with Morrie
Tuesdays with Morrie is a though-provoking memoir that examines a man getting a renewed outlook on life through the death of a friend.
Company News
A Message From Our President Regarding COVID-19
Prestwick House is committed to supporting educators during these uncertain times and beyond.
Vocabulary
5 Ways to Help Your Students Remember Vocabulary Words
How do you make sure your students remember their vocabulary words? Here are 5 methods you can use in your classroom.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Introduce your students to a dynamic narrative voice and structure with The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach The Glass Castle
This memoir follows the trail of a nonconforming and, at times, self-destructive family as they move from place to place.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach All the Light We Cannot See
Set during WWII, All the Light We Cannot See is a remarkable story your high school students will love.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass illustrates the experiences of one of the most influential abolitionist speakers.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach Warriors Don't Cry
This autobiography by Melba Pattillo Beals depicts the hardships she faced as one of the first African-American students to join a formerly segregated school.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights reveals the various social and psychological issues that arise in sports culture.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach Number the Stars
Lowry’s award-winning novel depicts the Nazi occupation of Denmark and the Danish Resistance in a manner appropriate for a younger audience.
Reading
What is a Lexile Measure?
Wondering what a Lexile measure is and how it can help you choose appropriate texts for your students? This article’s for you.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach The Hate U Give
The Hate U Give tackles timely social issues like police brutality, gun violence, and racism without fear.
Vocabulary
Having Fun with Vocabulary Flashcards
Vocabulary flashcards are great tools for instruction—and they're especially great for helping students remember words long-term.
Literature
How Yoda Helps Students Master Shakespeare
Learn how the speech patterns of Yoda the Jedi master can help students get past the biggest obstacle in studying Shakespeare: the syntax.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach A Separate Peace
Consider teaching A Separate Peace for its strong examples of narrative perspective and use of foil characters.
Teaching Tips
A Few of Our Favorite Things
Four exemplary English language arts teachers share what they love the most about education.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
C.S. Lewis’s allegorical tale of magic and wonder is perfect for discussing the roles of good and evil and the power of redemption.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach Heart of Darkness
Conrad’s novella is a great choice for the classroom because of its interesting juxtapositions and historical context.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach The Hunger Games
Discover what makes The Hunger Games the perfect introduction to dystopian fiction.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach Coraline
A cross between a horror story and a fairytale, Coraline is a children’s novella that will thrill younger students.
Literature
Top Creepy Books for All Grade Levels
There’s no spookier time than October for students to read books that are equal parts terrifying and enchanting.
Vocabulary
Teaching Vocabulary Doesn't Have to Be Scary
Teaching vocabulary doesn’t have to be scary! Boost your current curriculum with free vocabulary lesson plans, posters, puzzles, and more.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach Frankenstein
Discover how to teach your students about the consequences of social alienation and ambition in Mary Shelley’s classic horror story, Frankenstein.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach The Graveyard Book
Gaiman's award-winning novel depicts the adventures of a boy who lives in a graveyard and is raised by ghosts and a mysterious guardian.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach Dracula
Bram Stoker’s famous work introduces students to Gothic fiction and the format of an epistolary novel.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach Flowers for Algernon
Learn everything you need to know about teaching Flowers for Algernon, an award-winning science fiction novel by Daniel Keyes.
Vocabulary
Advantages of Direct Vocabulary Instruction in a Digital Format
Download this white paper to learn more about the effectiveness of direct instruction through a digital platform such as Vocabulary Power Plus Online.
Literature
How to Introduce Literary Theory to Your Students
Most students can benefit from learning literary theory, and giving them the tools to do so can boost student engagement.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach Transcendentalism
Introduce your students to the influential philosophical movement with Transcendentalism: Essential Essays of Emerson and Thoreau.
Teaching Tips
Top 10 Survival Tips for New Teachers
If this is your first year as a teacher, check out these 10 tips. And if you know a first-year teacher, share this blog post with them!
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird tells the story of racial injustice, the destruction of innocence, and the battle between good and evil.
Vocabulary
Developing Creative Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary
Check out these tips on how to kickstart brainstorming of creative vocabulary teaching strategies!
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach Slaughterhouse-Five
Kurt Vonnegut’s most famous novel explores fate and free will and the horrible effects of war in a work that is equal parts absurd, hilarious, and terribly sad.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach The Hobbit
Introduce students to varying aspects of the modern fantasy genre with this guide to teaching The Hobbit.
How to Teach Guides
How to Teach Oedipus Rex
Oedipus Rex is maybe the greatest Greek tragedy and a spectacular display of the power of dramatic irony.