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Textbook Content Disclaimer
This textbook is a wonderful resource for teachers looking for reading passages to pull from and the the textbook describes the differences between informal and formal language which many textbooks overlook. It describes and touches on culture throughout the textbook while still reflecting mainstream textbook formatting and topics from science to American culture. This textbook's biggest fault, however, is that it does not have explicit grammar instruction and is reading passage-heavy.
In this review, I touch only on exercises found within the textbook. 3/4 of this textbook is passages and reading, few of which have any exercises that coincide with them. The ones I explain in greater detail below are some of the only exercises found within the textbook. Since these examples do not focus on grammar or many other skills, the examples will focus primarily on reading and some writing. Examples of some of the passages found without any exercises can be found in the picture carousel below.
Scope and Sequence
This textbook consists mainly of passages. The beginning of each unit contains questions that center around the theme of the unit such as American Journey, geology, etc. It is then followed by a student question-answer activity that contains personal multiple-choice questions. Then, the vocabulary for the unit is listed with pictures but is not defined. As mentioned previously, the following activities are all passages of varying genres. Most units contain around 8-12 passages. The final sections of the unit are "learn the words" where students complete certain activities dependent on the vocabulary words for the unit, a step-by-step retelling stories activity, and discussion questions with conversation practice and visuals for students to follow along. The table of contents differentiates between the student activities and the plethora of passages through the titles. The titles of the passages are in classic heading capitalization, whereas all the student activities are in all caps.
This image shows the table of contents in this textbook. Reading passages are in traditional heading capitalization and activities are in all caps. (pg. 2)
As for communication, culture, connections, and comparisons, this textbook does not meet the requirements for many of these fully. For communication instruction, this textbook fails to meet vocabulary demands and does not introduce grammar at any point throughout the entire textbook. There is also no balance between speaking, listening, reading, or writing as it is very passage-heavy. It does have both individual and paired or grouped activities, but this argument is pretty insignificant since there are only 4 activities throughout each unit. The topics covered in each unit are age-appropriate but feel more appropriate for an English-speaking student, not an ESL student. There are no connections for students to make from their native language to English, but even more jarring is that there is little defining or simplifying of complex words in English for students to utilize either. There is a glossary at the back of the book, but it does not contain many words and would be better used if it were incorporated within each unit through bubbles or defining sections.
Culture
This image shows a very realistic state of a sink. (pg. 29)
This page contains photos of a well-love pan, delicious pancakes, and very traditional furniture. (pg. 27)
This textbook does do a fantastic job of incorporating culture into the curriculum, but American culture that is relevant to the student. The textbook alternates in units touching on American history and sciences but finds a way to relate it to the "typical" ESL student. For example, in the first chapter, one of the passages explains the history of immigration which most mainstream social studies classes may fail to touch on in-depth. It explains different journeys families take to the US and allows students to feel more included in the curriculum.Â
The science sections are geared more towards educating the students on the topic, but explaining what the words mean in greater and simpler detail which many classes or teachers would not. The textbook provides images of different ethnic and racial backgrounds both through persons but also in pictures of houses, kitchens, and schools. It does not have curated pictures, but realistic pictures of what students may see daily in their homes or in the homes of their friends. The only issue is that it does not allow for students to make connections to their native language which was discussed previously. Because of this, it leads me to believe that this textbook's primary intended use is for reading practice. Teachers may find this textbook useful for snippets of reading practice to be used throughout the class, but not as a main curriculum textbook.
A way this textbook utilizes its specificity well is by incorporating different literature genres such as graphic novels, informational articles, opinion pieces, poems, realistic fiction, plays, and charts. It emphasizes the difference between informal and formal language throughout these passages. This can often be an aspect of ESL learning that many textbooks never address in such an explicit way. A passage using common idioms such as "they are nuts" or "to have a fit" explained how it was informal language and gave examples of how to make it more formal and their meaning. This is very necessary especially at my students' age as they are beginning to communicate in a more formal manner. As they grow older, people become less forgiving of informal language or English mistakes especially those who are do not know their language acquisition status. It also allows them to feel more comfortable in more relaxed settings where these phrases are used when interacting with their classmates and teachers or watching or listening to media.
Vocabulary and Grammar
This textbook selects a few main vocabulary words for some passages, but the majority of the passages contain words that many students might be introduced to for the first time and are not defined. For example, in Unit 3, the vocabulary words are geology, weathering, erosion, deposition, force, glacier, cliff, and breakdown. Although these are words most ESL students would be unaware of beforehand, the passages use words such as "passageway" which I would consider a vocabulary word since it is used constantly throughout the passage and is one most ESL students would be unfamiliar with. It also has a tendency to highlight words as if they are vocabulary words, but are not. For example, in Unit 3, the word canyon is highlighted but was not listed previously as a vocabulary word for Unit 3. The textbook does make up for this lack of defining more complex words by providing a glossary at the back of the book; however, this can lead to severe confusion that can negatively affect the student's ability to comprehend the passage but also can affect their ability to use the textbook effectively. It can also discourage students since they may feel like they do not know a word that they should since it is not a highlighted word.
This is a list of all the vocabulary words for Unit 3, where all the passages on the right are from. (pg. 102)
The biggest flaw of this textbook is that it does not involve any grammar practice at all. It does not have any explicit grammar lessons with examples and explanations like most ESL textbooks have. It is geared towards students' reading skillset development rather than direct teaching with specific English grammar. However, the extent of how much reading language acquisition can be developed by using this textbook can be debated fairly quickly. I do think it is a wonderful resource for teachers to find age-appropriate passages that emulate the format of what students are learning and experiencing in classes while also being more sensitive to their English proficiency. However, if you plan on using this to teach English in the traditional textbook sense, this will not suffice. I would pair this with a grammar book and develop conversation exercises using the reading passages to practice comprehension. This textbook can also be useful for teachers to use in read-aloud to help students develop their ear for English. However, the way you can utilize this textbook is extremely dependent on the student's proficiency.
Curricular Components
As mentioned before, the vocabulary is appropriate for their age but can be seen as advanced when comparing it to lower proficiencies. The kind of conversation practice is very simple and can be used regardless of proficiency. It does not utilize any kind of learning strategies for students, but does use visual representation to help students with conversation practice as seen in the image to the right. It does an amazing job of implementing different subjects that are relevant to Grade 4 students' curriculum outside of the class which can be seen as a bonus to help them fully comprehend what is going on in outside subjects. Although each unit does have a retelling stories exercise, I do not think it warrants practicing recall or memorization skills. It is more of a conversation structure exercise rather than language practice. The textbook does not implement any critical-thinking skill practice and very rarely touches on any language practice even in relation to the passages.
This image shows the textbook's visual representation of conversation that can be used by the student to help them understand and remember how the conversation exercise should flow. (pg. 51)
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