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 The Catcher in the Rye

Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye is a classic novel about the trials of adolescence. Learn more about teaching this book here.

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.

How to Teach Guides

How to Teach Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies will provoke thoughtful discussions about the dark side of human nature, loss of innocence, and survival.

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 Native Son

Get the facts about teaching Richard Wright’s classic protest novel Native Son with our free guide.

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 The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Written by Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian will spark great discussions on identity, bullying, and education.

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 A Long Walk to Water

A Long Walk to Water intersects the true story of Salva Dut, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, with a fictional account of a Sudanese girl.

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.

Literature

Dear Prestwick House: Which Victorian novels should every high school student read?

Looking for the best titles for a unit on Victorian literature? Here are ten books from our Literary Touchstone Classics line that will work!

How to Teach Guides

How to Teach Great Expectations

Great Expectations, Charles Dickens’s classic novel, conveys the journey of one ambitious orphan’s remarkable personal growth.

How to Teach Guides

How to Teach The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Mark Haddon's mystery is an engaging novel told through the perspective of a teenager on the autism spectrum.

How to Teach Guides

How to Teach Their Eyes Were Watching God

Your students will love exploring the rich themes and vivid imagery within this classroom favorite.

How to Teach Guides

How to Teach The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter, with its rich themes and symbolism, is a must-read for the English classroom.

How to Teach Guides

How to Teach Brave New World

Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World has become an essential part of many high school curriculums.

How to Teach Guides

How to Teach Othello

The jealousy, betrayal, and manipulation in Shakespeare’s Othello make the play an excellent addition to any high school syllabus.

Literature

Top 10 Books About High School

We’ve compiled a list of incredible books that feature a high school setting. From drama and dystopia to memoirs and nonfiction, you’re bound to find books high school students will love.

Vocabulary

Webinar: Vocabulary Power Plus Online Program Walk-Through

Join us for a detailed walk-through of our new Vocabulary Power Plus Online program. Register now to save your seat!

Company News

Messages of Appreciation from the Prestwick House Team

Prestwick House staff members share their gratitude for teachers in this blog post for Teacher Appreciation Month.

Literature

Dear Prestwick House: What are the best historical fiction books for middle school students?

See what books made our top 10 list of the best historical fiction for middle school readers.

How to Teach Guides

How to Teach A Raisin in the Sun

Find resources for teaching A Raisin in the Sun, a classic American play about one family's struggles to achieve despite discrimination.

Reading

5 Types of Informational Text Structures

Knowing the components of these 5 text structures is essential for students reading and analyzing informational texts.

How to Teach Guides

How to Teach Antigone

The third of Sophocles' Theban plays, Antigone is a tragedy that examines governmental authority and moral responsibility.

How to Teach Guides

How to Teach The Canterbury Tales

Learn more about Geoffrey Chaucer's timeless work, The Canterbury Tales, with this free teaching guide.

Free Library

Teacher Appreciation Month Freebies

Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Month by downloading free thank you cards, certificates of appreciation, and social media graphics at Prestwick House!

How to Teach Guides

How to Teach Julius Caesar

Based on true events in Roman history, William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is a play that highlights the conflicting demands of honor, patriotism, and friendship.

How to Teach Guides

How to Teach 1984

George Orwell's prophetic masterpiece will engage readers and foster discussions about politics, society, and the role of technology.

How to Teach Guides

How to Teach Beowulf

Beowulf is great material to use to examine the traits of heroes and monsters and introduce students to Old English works.

Literature

Dear Prestwick House: What are the best new young adult titles for a diverse audience?

See our top 10 diverse books that will make high school students of all backgrounds eager to read more.

Vocabulary

Teaching Domain-Specific Words

Teaching domain-specific words is important. Here are the best ways to introduce these types of vocabulary words to your students.

How to Teach Guides

How to Teach Of Mice and Men

Learn how to teach John Steinbeck’s famous naturalist novella Of Mice and Men with this free guide from Prestwick House.

How to Teach Guides

How to Teach Night

Elie Wiesel’s memoir Night will allow students to understand the horrors and moral issues of the Holocaust.

How to Teach Guides

How to Teach Hamlet

Hamlet is perhaps Shakespeare's finest tragedy. Find resources for teaching it here.

Vocabulary

[Webinar] Vocabulary Power Plus Online Overview

In this webinar recording, learn all the details about Vocabulary Power Plus Online, our new digital vocabulary program!

Vocabulary

Vocabulary Power Plus Online Explained in 30 Seconds

Check out the new Vocabulary Power Plus Online program by watching this quick video!

How to Teach Guides

How to Teach The Crucible

Information about and resources for teaching Arthur Miller's classic allegory about McCarthyism and the evils of moral compromise in the face of danger.

Vocabulary

5 Questions with the Editorial Team: Vocabulary Power Plus Online

Prestwick House is proud to present Vocabulary Power Plus Online, an innovative digital counterpart to our popular print series!

How to Teach Guides

How to Teach Monster

Take the guesswork out of teaching Walter Dean Myers’s Monster with our latest free guide.

Vocabulary

4 Methods of Teaching Vocabulary

Good vocabulary instruction combines these four indirect and direct teaching strategies to help students build stronger language skills.

How to Teach Guides

How to Teach The Handmaid's Tale

If you're in need of material for a lesson plan on dystopian societies or feminism, teach Atwood's novel in your classroom.

How to Teach Guides

How to Teach Macbeth

As one of Shakespeare's most visceral tragedies, Macbeth has been taught in English classrooms around the world.

Literature

Top 10 Literary Lovebird Pairs

In honor of Valentine’s Day, here are our 10 favorite pairs of romantic—and not so romantic—literary lovebirds.