Jade Student Edition

Blueprint for Reading

Into the Selection helps students think about the thematic focus of the piece. What drives the action and the characters? What compels the author to write? What is the author trying to tell us? Into the Selection helps the students distinguish between topic and theme. Students may also be asked to think about, predict, look for, make notes, or find the answer to a question, as they read the selection.

In Focus the specific literary component taught with the selection is defined and explained for the student. How has the author used the literary component? How does the literary component influence the subject, theme, style, and genre? In Focus, the students see how writing comes to be!

Original artwork and illustrations are a unique Mosdos Press feature. Innovative graphics, design, color, and layout make Mosdos Press books appealing to students and teachers. Our artists and graphic designers work hand in hand with curriculum writers and editors to produce work that is beautiful, intriguing, and in keeping with our values.

Word Banks define new vocabulary words at the bottom of each page, as they appear in the selection, with a consistent pronunciation guide.

Footnotes are found throughout the textbook so that the reader’s comprehension will not be held back by unfamiliar words or references. These words and terms are not vocabulary words. They are specific to the selection and are often historical, technical, or scientific.

Studying the Selection is a comprehensive examination of the selection based on the educational objectives of remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating.

Every selection is followed by questions and exercises that challenge students to think, reread, write, and rewrite. With the exception of Recalling, all of the exercises call for more than a recollection of facts. Specifically, the Interpreting and Concluding questions require that students think about the theme. This prepares them for the two exercises in Examining. These exercises involve writing short narratives related to the theme and demonstrating an understanding of the genre or the literary component taught with the selection. Creating and Writing expands on this knowledge and encourages the student writer to explore theme and literary elements creatively.