This guide introduces the features of the Pearson Longman Keystone program and explores how Keystone accelerates academic vocabulary acquisition, develops transferable language skills, and provides an easy-to-use road map to academic success and language proficiency.
Pearson English Learning System is a comprehensive and integrated solution that addresses the needs of English language learners (ELLs).
The U.S. Department of Education has reported that by 2025, one out of every four students will be designated as an ELL. In addition, more than 85% of ELLs struggle to achieve academic proficiency by high school. Because ELLs are so diverse in their language needs, you need a comprehensive ELL system that links instruction, assessment, and professional development. This guide explores how the Pearson English Learning System highlights key features and language development, using Keystone materials. Keystone integrates language development by focusing on proficiency growth and grade-level content in Grades 6–12. This guide also shows you the necessary tools to monitor academic progress using valuable assessments on real ELL normative data using AIMSweb® and Stanford English Language Proficiency Test2 (SELP2).
Integrated into Keystone are additional instructional supports such as SIOP® in Practice and A+RISE®. SIOP® in Practice is a framework for teaching both academic content and language skills in ways that are proven to be more effective for ELLs. A+RISE® presents standards-aligned strategies to help all students achieve academic success.
These supports work together to allow you to target instruction to the needs of ELLs as part of a comprehensive ELL system.
Keystone is a rigorous reading program that accelerates students’ academic achievement. The program uses scaffolded, sustained instruction and language development strategies for middle and high school students—levels A, B, and C for middle school and levels D, E, and F for high school. Keys to Learning and Building Bridges provide additional supports to building language.
Each of the six thematic units begins with a Big Question at every level. The Big Question serves as a framework for language, vocabulary acquisition, and concept development. Each reading in the unit asks students to consider different aspects of the Big Question. This leads to deeper levels of understanding by reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
Use the unit projects as built-in differentiated instruction. These projects are designed to provide evidence of student understanding at the conclusion of a unit. In addition, Keys to Learning and Building Bridges are additional supports to building language. Students have opportunities to learn and practice language skills that focus on building academic language.
Program features include academic language acquisition, instructional support, embedded resources, and support in ancillaries.
Keystone increases academic language usage in the classroom. As students discuss the Big Question throughout the unit, they demonstrate their understanding of the content and develop transferable academic skills.
Preparing to Read begins with building background, vocabulary building, reading strategies, and activities for comprehension, grammar, and writing. You explicitly teach them in a comprehensible, step-by-step format, ensuring that students know when and how to apply the strategies to their reading.
A balance of literature and informational text provides the perfect blend of high-interest reading with a high incidence of academic vocabulary.
Each reading concludes with a series of scaffolded activities that build on prior learning, reinforce expressive language skills, and provide opportunities for students to demonstrate understanding.
The retelling activity called “In Your Own Words” reinforces academic language structures while helping students employ key vocabulary as they summarize the reading.
The Read for Fluency strategies help students develop the ability to read a text quickly and accurately with expression and understanding.
Reader’s Theater literary selections conclude with a fun Reader’s Theater activity where students re-enact scenes from the reading to reinforce comprehension, listening, and speaking skills.
Grammar concepts are explicitly taught with each reading through extensive use of modeling. Each skill is reinforced with plenty of practice. The modeled writing activities that support each reading give students guided practice in key skills for every writing domain.
In “Link the Readings,” students make text-to-text comparisons in a scaffolded activity that links to the Big Question and provides students a chance to use oral communication as a vehicle for demonstrating comprehension.
Each unit culminates in a Put It All Together section, featuring a listening and speaking workshop and writing workshop.
These two connected learning activities provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate their mastery of the skills covered in the unit and to apply them in formal academic speaking and writing. The writing workshop is the culminating writing activity of the unit. Each unit focuses on a particular mode of writing and gives students multiple opportunities to build skills in each mode.
The lessons offer visual literacy with a unique glimpse into the American experience as seen through the eyes of artists from all walks of life, as the lesson content is arranged with the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
The Teacher’s Edition features clear, step-by-step teaching suggestions that guide you through each part of the lesson. Each unit has a content and language objective and supports the instructional framework of SIOP®. Standards at the bottom of every page identify which reading and content area standards you should teach at any point within the lesson. Teaching Resources are summarized on the planner and listed at point-of-use to help make lesson planning simple and easy.
This well-organized instruction helps you structure daily lessons, making every component of the Pearson English Learning System transparent. You will find point-of-use suggestions for SIOP®, A+Rise®, SELP2, and AIMS2® in every lesson below the student pages on a blue background in the Teacher’s Edition.
Leveled Support boxes provide specific teaching strategies to help you tailor instruction to individual learners’ needs and provide for Culturally Responsive Instruction (CRI).
Because the needs of ELLs are so diverse, the Accelerate Language Development and Linguistic Note boxes can assist you in highlighting potential trouble spots in language development for certain learners and provide built-in remediation and additional language-building activities.
There are arrays of assessments you can use to monitor student progress. For instance, you will find boxes such as the Learning Strategy box that will provide metacognitive activities for students.
Keystone resources support you with planning and instruction. The Phonics and Word Analysis Kit is a resource that you can use to help students build foundational phonics and phonemic awareness skills. The Readers are adapted from popular tales and stories and use controlled vocabulary that is appropriate for lower-proficiency readers.
You also have access to an eText version of the Teacher’s Edition which is available on iPad, CD-ROM, and online.
Assessment resources include Exam View® Test Generator and Success Tracker. Here, you will find customizable formative and summative online tests that allow you to provide students with instant feedback.
In the Teacher’s Resource Book, your one-stop lesson planner includes useful resources to support students reach academic success. You will find daily lesson plans, graphic organizers, transparencies, workbook pages, and reading summaries in English, Spanish, Chinese, Cambodian, Hmong, and Vietnamese. You will also find Home Letters written in English and Spanish for each unit.
The Reader’s Companion promotes active reading skills by reprinting the readings from the student edition.
The Student Workbook provides additional practice and extension activities for each skill taught in the student edition, including Vocabulary, Reading Strategies, Reading Comprehension, Response to Literature, Grammar, and Writing.
This guide introduced the features of the Pearson Longman Keystone program and explored how Keystone accelerates academic vocabulary acquisition, develops transferable language skills, and provides an easy-to-use road map to academic success and language proficiency.
