DIOCESE OF
Name of Publisher: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston
Subject Area: Language Arts
Title of Textbook or Series: Elements of Literature
Grade Levels: 6-8 Copyright: 2000 Edition:
RATING KEY:
4-Superior 3-Good 2-Fair
1-Poor 0-Feature Not Present
NA- Not Applicable
OVERVIEW: The
Elements of Literature is a literature program that includes a teacher and student text,
interactive CD-ROMs for grammar and writing practice, and audio and
videocassette program, One-Stop CD-ROM with Test Generator, lesson plans,
assessment tools, transparencies and worksheets. This particular series has an increased
emphasis on reading skills-Reading Skills and Strategies: Reaching Struggling
Readers.
CONTENT
A. ALIGNMENT WITH
CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS RATING:
2.9
Content must align with the diocesan
standards.
Comments: The scope and sequence correlates to the diocesan curriculum.
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 content is developmentally
appropriate for middle school students.
C. EXPERTISE FOR CONTENT DEVELOPMENT RATING: 4
Expertise
in the content area and in education of the intended students must be reflected
in the authors, reviewers, and sources.
Comments: The teachers
edition includes several excellent articles on literature, reading strategies,
reaching struggling readers, young adolescent learning and assessment.
D. ACCURACY OF CONTENT RATING: 4
Content must be accurate in historical
context and contemporary facts and concepts.
Comments: The content appears accurate.
E. CURRENTNESS OF CONTENT RATING: 4
Content must be up-to-date for the academic discipline and the context
in which the content is presented.
Comments: The content appears up-to-date and
historically accurate.
F. AUTHENTICITY
OF CONTENT RATING: 3.6
Content should include problem-centered
connections to life in a context that is meaningful to the students.
Comments: There are life connections and
interdisciplinary connections throughout the text.
G. MULTICULTURAL REPRESENTATION RATING: 4
Portrayal
of gender, ethnicity, age, work situations, and social groups must include multicultural fairness and advocacy.
Comments: The authors and selections reflect
multicultural diversity.
H. HUMANITY AND COMPASSION RATING: 4
Portrayal of the appropriate care and treatment of people and animals
must include compassion, sympathy, and consideration of their needs.
Comments:The
selections appear to offer a sensitive view of people and animals.
TOTAL
CONTENT RATING: 3.7
PRESENTATION
A. COMPREHENSIVENESS
OF STUDENT AND TEACHER RESOURCES RATING: 3.3
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: 2.8
Comments: There are avariety
of publishing/sharing ideas for student writing.
TEACHER
RESOURCES Individual
Rating: 3.7
Comments: There are numerous resources provided and
the teacher’s edition clearly displays where these various resources fit in the
program.
B. ALIGNMENT
OF INSTRUCTIONAL COMPONENTS RATING: 3.5
All components of the instructional package must align with each
other, as well as with the curriculum.
Comments: There is a consistent and obvious
correlation between the text and the standards.
C. ORGANIZATION OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS RATING:
2.5
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: Each collection follows the same format
in terms of elements covered and a communication workshop section.
D. READABILITY
OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS RATING:3.0 Narrative
and visuals should engage students in reading or listening.
Comments: There are many attractive and stimulating
illustrations.
E. PACING
OF CONTENT RATING: 2.5
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: Each collection is divided into smaller
sections with related strategies and elements of literature.
F. EASE OF
USE OF MATERIALS RATING: 3
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 a wide variety of technology
resources.
LEARNING
A. MOTIVATIONAL
STRATEGIES RATING: 2.5
Instructional materials must include
features to maintain learner motivation.
Comments: This particular series has a more
traditional textbook appearance. It is not as “glitzy” as other series.
B. TEACHING
A FEW “BIG IDEAS” RATING: 3
Instructional materials should thoroughly
teach a few important ideas, concepts, or themes.
Comments: This series is not as overwhelming as
others in terms of content. The text itself is smaller and lighter than most
series.
C. EXPLICIT
INSTRUCTION RATING: 3
Instructional materials must contain clear
statements of information and outcomes.
Comments: There are models for student writing and
clear and specific instruction for writing assignments.
D. GUIDANCE
AND SUPPORT RATING: 4
Instructional materials must include guidance and support to help
students safely and successfully become more independent learners and thinkers.
Comments: This program has a strong writing
component with models and analysis and revision of drafts. There are excellent
critical thinking skills presented.
E. ACTIVE
PARTICIPATION RATING: 4
Instructional materials must engage the physical and mental activity
of students during the learning process.
Comments: There are opportunities for student
interaction.
F. TARGETED
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES RATING: 4
Instructional
materials should include the strategies known to be successful for teaching the learning outcomes targeted in
the curriculum requirements.
Comments: This program is research based and
aligned with the diocesan curriculum.
G. TARGETED
ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES RATING: 3.3
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 has a strong emphasis on
critical thinking especially metacognition. It also
emphasizes reading strategies and provides much instruction for reluctant and
struggling readers.
TOTAL LEARNING RATING: 3.4
OVERALL
RATING: 3.3
STRENGTHS: Elements of Literature has a great deal of
research based information for the teacher. There is a strong emphasis on
teaching reading skills and strategies with an emphasis on critical thinking
and metacognition. There is an excellent component Reading Skills and Strategies: Reaching
Struggling Readers which teaches strategies
needed to develop good reading skills.
Each collection follows the same organizational structure which makes
the book easy to follow. Each collection includes a Communications Workshop
containing many practical and relevant skills. The content isn’t as
overwhelming as most series and could be accomplished in one school year.
CONCERNS: The grammar instruction
doesn’t seem to follow any sequential order and doesn’t offer enough practice
for difficult concepts. There needs to be more application of grammar and
mechanics to writing. The book has a more traditional format and is not as
eye-catching as some other series.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: The Holt, Rinehart, and Winston Elements of Literature series offers a more traditional format in the text
than other series. Each collection follows the same pattern. The series is
especially good for reluctant and struggling readers and offers a very strong
reading strategies approach. Despite the more traditional format of the text,
the other components of the series are as up to date and technology based as
other series. This is a solid, basic task with a reasonable amount of material
that could be covered in a year’s time.