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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Introduces English Language Development Program

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt will launch a new English language development program next year designed to help intermediate-grade students enhance their English language skills.

The Escalate English program will include a number of listening, speaking, reading and writing exercises and activities with both print and digital components.

Aligned with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's existing English-language arts curricula, Journeys and Collections, Escalate English is intended to increase proficiency in both oral and written English language with daily instruction. Teachers can make adjustments in individual programs to match students' level of language proficiency.

Escalate English provides a teacher dashboard that has a central location for resources, a planning tool, student assessment reports and professional development materials. There is also a student dashboard that includes myWriteSmart, a digital workspace, and a note taking tool.

Students will have access to young adult fiction, graphic novels, blogs and NPR podcasts and videos. There are also videos that model language usage in real-world scenarios.

"Long-term English learners face a greater risk of dropping out, especially if they are unable to achieve the fluency levels required to become confident speakers," said Elena Izquierdo, principal investigator for Project LEAD and program consultant. "With this program, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is expanding the reach of its quality content and helping school districts across the country close the achievement gaps faced by long-term English learners."

About the Author

Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.

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