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Choosing a curriculum or textbook series to use is one of the most important decisions for your students to learn well and teachers to avoid burnout by having easy-to-plan lessons. There is no perfect textbook (unfortunately), and your teacher preferences along with your student needs may cause you to change textbooks in the future. We will provide our top pick for textbooks here along with a few other suggested books you may want to consider.
Considerations when Choosing a Textbook (click to Expand)
Considerations when Choosing a Textbook (click to Expand)
Using a textbook:
Remember a textbook is a tool, not a dictator. The teacher should feel supported by the textbook but have the freedom to jump around, skip exercises, and most of all, supplement with additional communicative activities. See our teacher site for more help with using a textbook.
Use the Scope & Sequence page (found in the front of all textbooks) to determine how best to use this book over a semester. For instance, teachers may want to plan to do one lesson from a book per week. You should also map out a system for when students are ready to move to the next level. Most textbook series will have you in one level book for one year (32 weeks of class) before moving up.
Factors to consider when choosing a textbook:
Price
Variety of exercises for different skills (are there reading, writing, vocabulary, speaking, and listening exercises)?
Relevancy of topics (do these topics relate to students' daily lives?)
Proficiency level (most books use CEFR levels or similar levels to help you align the books).
Literacy (Click to Expand)
Literacy (Click to Expand)
Placement Assessment Score: Fails literacy assessment (regardless of speaking score).
Placement Assessment Score: Fails literacy assessment (regardless of speaking score).
Usually due to either low/no education or literacy in a non-Roman alphabet, learner cannot read basic words in English. May or may not have more spoken English ability, but would struggle in a low-beginner class due to inability to read book exercises.
Recommended Textbook
Recommended Textbook
Readers from ABCEnglish, including Jennifer Christenson’s readers (purchase on Amazon)
Included Resources: Phonics books, online teacher resources (for a fee), and supplemental story books
Other Suggested Resources
Other Suggested Resources
Picture dictionary, like a monolingual Oxford Picture Dictionary
This can be used as a supplement in class or it has its own workbook for exercises.
Resources developed by Bow Valley College in Canada
Teaching zero-level English video from Refuge
Low Beginner 1 (A1.1)
Low Beginner 1 (A1.1)
Placement Assessment Score: 0–5 points with a passing score on literacy assessment.
Placement Assessment Score: 0–5 points with a passing score on literacy assessment.
Recommended Textbook
Recommended Textbook
Confidence and Connections, Introduction
Time to completion: 16 weeks
Resources available: Teacher Guide
Other Suggested Resources
Other Suggested Resources
ABCEnglish (Book Two)
Ventures Basic
Other options are Side by Side or Step Forward; our team has preferred Ventures over these)
That’s Life Introductory (if they are ready) by New Readers Press
This is a reading curriculum that supplements other vocab/speaking books well. Can be used alongside another textbook.
Low Beginner 2 (A1.2)
Low Beginner 2 (A1.2)
Placement Assessment Score: 6–10 points
Placement Assessment Score: 6–10 points
Learner can accomplish simple tasks such as identifying basic objects and giving personal information (Where is your house? What is your favorite color?) but cannot answer in full phrases/sentences when natural and lacks any depth of vocabulary.
Recommended Textbook
Recommended Textbook
Confidence & Connections, Level 1
You can begin with L or R, but both books should be completed before moving levels. Estimated time to completion ~ 36 weeks.
Resources: Teacher Guide
Other Suggested Resources
Other Suggested Resources
Ventures Level 1 (Units 6– 10)
That’s Life (followed by Life Goes On) Introductory, then/or Low Beginner
Novel Scenes for Reading Circles
High Beginner 1 (A2.1)
High Beginner 1 (A2.1)
Placement Assessment Score: 11–15 points
Placement Assessment Score: 11–15 points
Recommended Textbook
Recommended Textbook
Confidence and Connections, Level 2
You can begin with L or R, but both books should be completed before moving levels. Estimated time to completion ~ 36 weeks.
Resources: Teacher Guide
Other Suggested Resources
Other Suggested Resources
Ventures, Level 2 (Units 1–5)
That’s Life (followed by Life Goes On) Low Beginner, then/or High Beginner
Novel Scenes for Reading Circles
High Beginner 2 (A2.2)
High Beginner 2 (A2.2)
Placement Assessment Score: 16–20 points
Placement Assessment Score: 16–20 points
Recommended Textbook
Recommended Textbook
Confidence and Connections, Level 3
You can begin with L or R, but both books should be completed before moving levels. Estimated time to completion ~ 36 weeks.
Resources: Teacher Guide
Other Suggested Resources
Other Suggested Resources
Ventures, Level 2 (Units 6–10)
That’s Life (followed by Life Goes On) Low Beginner, then/or High Beginner
Novel Scenes for Reading Circles
Low Intermediate (B1.1)
Low Intermediate (B1.1)
Placement Assessment Score: 21–27 points
Placement Assessment Score: 21–27 points
Recommended Textbook
Recommended Textbook
Confidence and Connections, Level 4
You can begin with L or R, but both books should be completed before moving levels. Estimated time to completion ~ 36 weeks.
Resources: Teacher Guide
Other Suggested Resources
Other Suggested Resources
Ventures, 3 (Units 1–5)
That’s Life (followed by Life Goes On) Intermediate
Novel Scenes for Reading Circles
Intermediate (B1.2)
Intermediate (B1.2)
Placement Assessment Score: 28–33 points
Placement Assessment Score: 28–33 points
Recommended Textbook
Recommended Textbook
Confidence and Connections, Level 5
You can begin with L or R, but both books should be completed before moving levels. Estimated time to completion ~ 36 weeks.
Resources: Teacher Guide
Other Suggested Resources
Other Suggested Resources
Ventures 3, Units (6–10)
That’s Life (followed by Life Goes On) Intermediate
Novel Scenes for Reading Circles
High Intermediate (b2+)
High Intermediate (b2+)
Placement Assessment Score: 34–36 points
Placement Assessment Score: 34–36 points
Recommended Textbook
Recommended Textbook
Other Suggested Resources
Other Suggested Resources
Use realistic reading at this level from other English textbooks, newspapers, or other high-school-level materials.
Citizenship
Citizenship
Learner Profile
Learner Profile
Learner is ready for more complex vocabulary and spelling with a desire to study for the USCIS Citizenship Test.
Suggested Curriculum
Suggested Curriculum
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