DIOCESE OF
Name of Publisher: GLENCOE
Subject Area: LITERATURE
Title of Textbook or Series: GLENCOE LITERATURE:
THE READER’S CHOICE
Grade Levels: Copyright: Edition: 2000
RATING KEY:
4-Superior 3-Good 2-Fair
1-Poor 0-Feature Not Present
NA- Not Applicable
OVERVIEW: Glencoe Literature: The Reader’s Choice is a
comprehensive literature program with a variety or resources targeting a wide
range of learners. For a list of program
components, visit the website at www.glencoe.com.
CONTENT
A. ALIGNMENT WITH
CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS RATING: 3.1
Content must align with the diocesan
standards.
Comments: This literature series correlates to the
diocesan standards.
B. LEVEL OF
TREATMENT RATING:
2.8
The level of complexity or difficulty of content must be appropriate
for the standards, grade level, and student abilities.
Comments: The main weakness in this area is that
there is too much material to cover in a school year. The content is
appropriate to achieve intended objectives and is developmentally appropriate.
C. EXPERTISE FOR CONTENT DEVELOPMENT RATING: 4.0
Expertise
in the content area and in education of the intended students must be reflected
in the authors, reviewers, and sources.
Comments: Authors and consultants appear to have
appropriate credentials.
D. ACCURACY
OF CONTENT RATING:
4.0
Content must be accurate in historical
context and contemporary facts and concepts.
Comments: The content appears accurate.
E. CURRENTNESS OF CONTENT RATING: 4.0
Content must be up-to-date for the academic discipline and the context
in which the content is presented.
Comments: Content appears to be up to date.
F. AUTHENTICITY OF CONTENT RATING: 3.2
Content should include problem-centered
connections to life in a context that is meaningful to the ` students.
Comments: The instructional materials include
connections to the students’ lives. There are many suggestions for integrating
literature, grammar, writing, and spelling. There are interdisciplinary and
cross-curricular connections, but they are not very challenging and mostly
involve social studies.
G. MULTICULTURAL
REPRESENTATION RATING: 4.0
Portrayal
of gender, ethnicity, age, work situations, and social groups must include multicultural fairness and advocacy.
Comments: There is an excellent and comprehensive
selection of multicultural literature.
H. HUMANITY
AND COMPASSION RATING: 4.0
Portrayal of the appropriate care and treatment of people and animals
must include compassion, sympathy, and consideration of their needs.
Comments: The content seems to conform to Catholic
beliefs and values.
TOTAL
CONTENT RATING: 3.6
PRESENTATION
A. COMPREHENSIVENESS
OF STUDENT AND TEACHER RESOURCES RATING: 3.4
Resources must be complete enough to address the targeted learning
outcomes without requiring the teacher to prepare additional teaching materials
for the course.
STUDENT
RESOURCES Individual
Rating: 3.0
Comments: The student resources are suitable and
easy to use. There are many interesting, varied, and challenging activities in
the textbook.
TEACHER
RESOURCES Individual
Rating: 3.8
Comments: The teacher edition is easy to use. All
practice and support materials are displayed where they will be used. There are
numerous suggestions included with each selection targeting students with
special needs and offering ideas and activities to incorporate multiple
intelligences. There is a lot of technology available, and where and how it is
to be used is clearly described. There are very comprehensive resources for
meeting the needs of students with Limited English Proficiency.
B. ALIGNMENT
OF INSTRUCTIONAL COMPONENTS RATING:
3.0
All components of the instructional package must align with each
other, as well as with the curriculum.
Comments: Components are integrated and
interdependent. Opportunities for readers’ response are present in the
teacher’s edition and at the end of each selection but are not in the text of
the selection.
C. ORGANIZATION
OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS RATING:
3.6
The structure and format of the materials must have enough order and
clarity to allow students and teachers to access content and explicitly
identify ideas and sequences.
Comments: This is a highly organized program with a
consistent format. However, there are so many resources needed for each lesson that
it becomes unwieldy.
D. READABILITY
OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS RATING: 4.0
Narrative and visuals should engage students
in reading or listening.
Comments: The language style is suited to the needs
and comprehension of the students. The visuals add to the appeal of the
selections.
E. PACING
OF CONTENT RATING: 3.0
The amount of content presented at one time or the pace at which it is
presented must be of a size or rate that allows students to perceive and
understand it
Comments: There is too much material to cover in a
school year.
F. EASE OF
USE OF MATERIALS RATING: 3.5
Both print and other media formats of instructional materials must be
easy to use and replace and be durable enough for multiple uses over time.
Comments: There is an abundance of technology
available: a Glencoe Literature Web Site, a Literature Launchers videotape/videodisc,
an audio library (cassette or CD), Mindjogger Videoquizzes (videotape/videodisc), a video library, a
Spanish audio library, Literature Classics for Middle School CD-ROM, Writer’s
Assistant CD-ROM, Language Arts Pass CD-ROM (a self-tutorial for students in
reading), Presentation Plus CD-ROM, Testmaker
(Disks/CD-ROMS), Vocabulary Puzzlemaker (Disks),
Interactive Lesson Planner, and Interactive Grammar and Language Workbook
(Disks/CD-ROM).
LEARNING
A. MOTIVATIONAL
STRATEGIES RATING: 4.0
Instructional materials must include
features to maintain learner motivation.
Comments: The format of the textbook is very
engaging. The suggested activities are interesting, varied, and challenging,
and provide many opportunities for collaborative learning.
B. TEACHING
A FEW “BIG IDEAS” RATING: 3.0
Instructional materials should thoroughly
teach a few important ideas, concepts, or themes.
Comments: There is too much to cover in a school
year.
C. EXPLICIT
INSTRUCTION RATING: 3.5
Instructional materials must contain clear
statements of information and outcomes.
Comments: The instructional materials include clear
directions and explanations, practice and applications.
D. GUIDANCE
AND SUPPORT RATING: 2.8
Instructional materials must include guidance and support to help
students safely and successfully become more independent learners and thinkers.
Comments: Guidance and support is adaptable to
developmental differences and various learning styles. There could be more
student and professional writing models.
E. ACTIVE
PARTICIPATION RATING: 2.3
Instructional materials must engage the physical and mental activity
of students during the learning process.
Comments: The one weakness in this area was the
absence of opportunities for peer conferencing.
F. TARGETED
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES RATING: 4.0
Instructional
materials should include the strategies known to be successful for teaching the learning outcomes targeted in
the curriculum requirements.
Comments: Instructional materials suggest teaching
strategies that are research-based and aligned with the curriculum and desired
learning outcomes.
G. TARGETED
ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES RATING: 3.9
Instructional materials should include assessment strategies known to
be successful in determining how well students have achieved the learning
outcomes targeted in the curriculum requirements.
Comments: This program provides a wide variety of
assessment strategies including alternative assessment (multimedia, technology,
performance assessment, interviews, etc.) and practice in a standardized test
format.
TOTAL LEARNING RATING: 3.4
CUMULATIVE
RATING TOTAL: 3.5
STRENGTHS: The Glencoe Literature: The Reader’s Choice series
has a balance of classical literature and contemporary multicultural
selections. The teacher’s edition is easy to follow with all needed resources
clearly displayed. Inclusion Strategies and Multiple Learning Styles Strategies
are on the pages in the teacher’s edition, not in a separate book. The
suggested activities are adaptable to all learners and tap into the learners’
multiple intelligences. There are numerous resources including an excellent
collection of technology resources.
CONCERNS: There
are no Daily Oral Language activities. There could be more writing applications
tied into grammar lessons. There could be more practice resources providing
opportunities for re-teaching concepts and challenging students. There is too
much material to cover in a school year.
OVERALL
IMPRESSION: The Glencoe Literature: The Reader’s Choice
series is an excellent program. With its wide variety of literary genres and
authors and interesting themes, it will engage the adolescent learner. The resources
and activities are interesting and creative and provide opportunities for
success for all learners. There is a very traditional grammar resource for
those who want that component.