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Holt McDougal Literature
Secondary English Language Arts Program Grades 6–12
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Holt McDougal Literature, a research-based and digitally interactive English Language Arts program for grades 6–12, provides an engaging learning environment designed to help students achieve success with rigorous standards and next-generation assessments. A complete resource for teaching critical reading, writing, research, language, and media skills, Holt McDougal Literature offers carefully crafted features for preparing students well for college and 21st century careers.
Holt McDougal Literature in your classroom
- Engages tech-savvy students with enhanced interactive learning tools
- Makes rigorous standards and challenging text accessible for a wide range of students
- Provides full workshops for the skills of reading, analyzing, and comparing text
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Why?
Built to Align Fully to Common Core State Standards
Holt McDougal Literature contains in-depth selections and unique features to support Common Core State Standards and to better prepare students for English Language Arts assessments.
Built-in Scaffolding to Support All Learners
A variety of support is available to meet the range of your students' needs. Holt McDougal Interactive Readers are designed for on-level, below-level, and English language learners.
Student and Teacher Interactive Online Editions with Point-of-use Access to Digital Resources
Holt McDougal Literature online editions put everything at your fingertips. Interactive Whiteboard Lessons, a Common Core Solutions Site for teacher support, and Level Up remediation are just a few of the features designed to support teaching and learning.
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Common Core
A Holistic Approach to Implementing Change
While instructional materials aligned to the Common Core are a critical need, it's also important to think about the larger picture. How do you ensure your people, systems, and programs are all working together to achieve one common goal?
As a recognized global leader in educational solutions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is uniquely positioned to provide comprehensive and customized support for every aspect of your transition to the Common Core Standards.
Built to Align Fully to Common Core State Standards
- Introductory Student Edition unit contains in-depth Common Core information. Essential Course of Study identifies 30 selections and workshops for maximum efficiency in addressing the CCSS
- As required by CCSS, students read substantially more informational text, preparing them for future state and national assessments
Unique Features Support an Emphasis on Citing Text Evidence
- Line numbers on every selection facilitate citing textual evidence
- Targeted Passages highlight passages critical to comprehension
Emphasis on Argumentative and Informational Writing
- Comprehensive end-of-unit Writing Workshops fully aligned to the Common Core State Standards
- WriteSmart Online and CD-ROM featuring CCSS-trait-aligned writing instruction
- Editable rubric generator aligned to Common Core State Standards
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Partnerships
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt & HISTORY
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has an exclusive partnership with HISTORY® to revolutionize the way students learn and the way educators present literature and history.
HISTORY® and related logos are the property of A&E Television Networks (AETN).
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Authors
Meet some of the featured authors for this program!
Janet Allen - Senior Program Consultant
Reading and Literacy Specialist; creator of the popular “It’s Never Too Late”/“Reading for Life” Institutes. Dr. Allen is an internationally known consultant who specializes in literacy work with at-risk students. Her publications include Tools for Content Literacy; It’s Never Too Late: Leading Adolescents to Lifelong Learning; Yellow Brick Roads: Shared and Guided Paths to Independent Reading; Words, Words, Words: Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4–12; and Testing 1, 2, 3 … Bridging Best Practice and High-Stakes Assessments. Dr. Allen was a high school reading and English teacher for more than 20 years.
Arthur N. Applebee - Senior Program Consultant
Leading Professor, School of Education at the University at Albany, State University of New York; Director of the Center on English Learning and Achievement. During his varied career, Dr. Applebee has been both a researcher and a teacher, working in institutional settings with children with severe learning problems, in public schools, as a staff member of the National Council of Teachers of English, and in professional education. He was elected to the International Reading Hall of Fame and has received, among other honors, the David H. Russell Award for Distinguished Research in the Teaching of English.
jim-burke - Senior Program Consultant
Lecturer and Author; Teacher of English at Burlingame High School, Burlingame, California. Mr. Burke is a popular presenter at educational conferences across the country and is the author of numerous books for teachers, including School Smarts: The Four Cs of Academic Success; The English Teacher’s Companion; Reading Reminders; Writing Reminders; and ACCESSing School: Teaching Struggling Readers to Achieve Academic and Personal Success. He is the recipient of NCTE’s Exemplary English Leadership Award and was inducted into the California Reading Association’s Hall of Fame.
Douglas Carnine - Senior Program Consultant
Professor of Education at the University of Oregon; Director of the Western Region Reading First Technical Assistance Center. Dr. Carnine is nationally known for his focus on research-based practices in education, especially curriculum designs that prepare instructors of K–12 students. He has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council for Exceptional Children and the Ersted Award for outstanding teaching at the University of Oregon. Dr. Carnine frequently consults on educational policy with government groups, businesses, communities, and teacher unions.
Yvette Jackson - Senior Program Consultant
Executive Director of the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education. Nationally recognized for her work in assessing the learning potential of underachieving urban students, Dr. Jackson is also a presenter for the Harvard Principal Center and is a member of the Differentiation Faculty of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Dr. Jackson’s research focuses on literacy, gifted education, and cognitive mediation theory. She designed the Comprehensive Education Plan for the New York City Public Schools and has served as their Director of Gifted Programs.
Carol Jago - Senior Program Consultant
Teacher of English with thirty-two years of experience at Santa Monica High School in California; Author and nationally known Lecturer; and Past President of the National Council of Teachers of English. With varied experience in standards assessment and secondary education, Ms. Jago is the author of numerous books on education and is active with the California Association of Teachers of English, editing its scholarly journal California English since 1996. Ms. Jago also served on the planning committee for the 2009 NAEP Framework and the 2011 NAEP Writing Framework.
Robert T. Jiménez - Senior Program Consultant
Professor of Language, Literacy, and Culture at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Jiménez’s research focuses on the language and literacy practices of Latino students. A former bilingual education teacher, he is now conducting research on how written language is thought about and used in contemporary Mexico. Dr. Jiménez has received several research and teaching honors, including two Fulbright awards from the Council for the International Exchange of Scholars and the Albert J. Harris Award from the International Reading Association.
Judith A. Langer - Senior Program Consultant
Distinguished Professor at the University at Albany, State University of New York; Director of the Center on English Learning and Achievement; Director of the Albany Institute for Research in Education. An internationally known scholar in English language arts education, Dr. Langer specializes in developing teaching approaches that can enrich and improve what gets done on a daily basis in classrooms. Her publications include Getting to Excellent: How to Create Better Schools and Effective Literacy Instruction: Building Successful Reading and Writing Programs.
Robert J. Marzano - Senior Program Consultant
Senior Scholar at Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL); Associate Professor at Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; President of Marzano & Associates. An internationally known researcher, trainer, and speaker, Dr. Marzano has developed programs that translate research and theory into practical tools for K–12 teachers and administrators. He has written extensively on such topics as reading and writing instruction, thinking skills, school effectiveness, assessment, and standards implementation.
Donna Ogle - Senior Program Consultant
Professor of Reading and Language at National Louis University in Chicago, Illinois; Past President of the International Reading Association. Creator of the well-known KWL strategy, Dr. Ogle has directed many staff development projects translating theory and research into school practice in middle and secondary schools throughout the United States and has served as a consultant on literacy projects worldwide. Her extensive international experience includes coordinating the Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking Project in Eastern Europe, developing integrated curriculum for a USAID Afghan Education Project, and speaking and consulting on projects in several Latin American countries and in Asia.
Carol Olson - Senior Program Consultant
Senior Lecturer in the Department of Education at the University of California, Irvine; Director of the UCI site of the National Writing Project. Dr. Olson writes and lectures extensively on the reading/writing connection, critical thinking through writing, interactive strategies for teaching writing, and the use of multicultural literature with students of culturally diverse backgrounds. She has received many awards, including the California Association of Teachers of English Award of Merit, the Outstanding California Education Research Award, and the UC Irvine Excellence in Teaching Award.
Carol Ann Tomlinson - Senior Program Consultant
Professor of Educational Research, Foundations, and Policy at the University of Virginia; Co-Director of the University’s Institutes on Academic Diversity. An internationally known expert on differentiated instruction, Dr. Tomlinson helps teachers and administrators develop effective methods of teaching academically diverse learners. She was a teacher of middle and high school English for 22 years prior to teaching at the University of Virginia. Her books on differentiated instruction have been translated into eight languages.
Kylene Beers - Special Contributor
Former Middle School Teacher; nationally known Lecturer and Author on reading and literacy; and former President of the National Council of Teachers of English. Dr. Beers is the nationally known author of When Kids Can’t Read: What Teachers Can Do and co-editor of Adolescent Literacy: Turning Promise into Practice, as well as articles in the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy. Former editor of Voices from the Middle, she is the 2001 recipient of NCTE’s Richard W. Halley Award, given for outstanding contributions to middle-school literacy.
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Correlations
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Scope And Sequence
The Scope and Sequence provides an overview of the concepts to be covered in a given period of time and the features for addressing the concepts throughout the series. Download a PDF to see the progression and order of topic introduction.
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Features
Holt McDougal Literature provides the best in print and digital resources to fully implement the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts.
Print Resources
The tables of contents boast a strong balance of classic and contemporary literature and diverse informational texts that progressively develop and apply students’ English Language Arts skills.
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Online Resources
The online edition of Holt McDougal Literature includes not only audio and videos but also teacher supports, author studies, hyperlinked vocabulary, and point-of-use links for review, practice, remediation, and enrichment activities.
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Electronic Resources
Digital tools provide students and teachers with the resources they need to meet today’s teaching demands and help prepare students for college and career success.
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Print Resources
Student and Teacher Editions
Holt McDougal Literature is a comprehensive resource, addressing all key points of the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts (ELA) and preparing students for college and career success.
Each reading selection includes line numbers to help students cite specific textual evidence and create written and verbal arguments based on sound reasoning and substantive claims. Writing workshops, media studies, and research units holistically address the integrated nature of the Standards. Students practice reading, writing, and speaking and listening by analyzing and producing an array of media. Language skills are addressed in every writing workshop, within each selection, and after selections to emphasize the contextualized nature of vocabulary and language.
On-page references indicate the additional HISTORY® video feature that supplements selections throughout grade levels.
Three Interactive Readers
Holt McDougal Interactive Readers exactly parallel the Essential Course of Study section of Holt McDougal Literature.
Holt McDougal Interactive Reader
With this consumable workbook, students can record their thoughts as they read each selection. Skill builder pages with scaffolding and graphic organizers further strengthen student reading comprehension.
Holt McDougal Adapted Interactive Reader
Selections in this interactive reader have been fully adapted to target students reading well below grade level by modifying the complexity of content, vocabulary, and syntax.
Holt McDougal English Language Learner Adapted Interactive Reader
Selections have been adapted to target English language learners by modifying the complexity of content, vocabulary, and syntax. Skill builder pages with scaffolding and graphic organizers further strengthen student reading comprehension, with particular focus on academic and selection vocabulary. A comprehensive Teacher Edition provides additional differentiated instruction for English language learners.
All three readers are also available online.
Common Core ELA Exemplar Resource
The Text Exemplars in the Common Core State Standards Appendix B exemplify the complexity, quality, and range of texts with which students must engage. The lessons in the Common Core ELA Exemplar Resource provide the instructional activities that students need to build knowledge and skills from each text.
- Common Core ELA instruction for ALL exemplar texts
- Close reading support to help students analyze complex texts
- Text-based performance tasks for assessment success
Common Core ELA Exemplar Resource (1.4 MB)
Resource Manager
This teacher resource contains all the support materials needed to plan and teach the Holt McDougal Literature units including lesson plans, selection summaries in four languages, ideas for extension lessons and activities, skills pages, and leveled selection tests that help teachers ensure students meet rigorous standards. Also included are a Big Questions Transparency Book and the complete collection of Big Questions that appear throughout the Student Edition.
Assessment File
The Assessment File includes two assessment books for teachers designed in tandem with Holt McDougal Literature to provide a collection of leveled Diagnostic and Selection Tests and Unit and Benchmark Tests that assess the key points of reading comprehension, writing, and grammar.
HISTORY® and related logos are the property of A&E Television Networks (AETN).
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Online Resources
Online Edition
The online edition of Holt McDougal Literature includes not only audio and video but also hyperlinked vocabulary and point-of-use links for review, practice, remediation, and enrichment activities.
Teachers will save time with convenient access to preparation tools, including:
- Lesson planning
- Links to state-specific resources
- Professional development
Instruction is supported by online availability of:
- Printable selection and unit resources
- Electronic versions of all print resources, including Guide to English for Newcomers and Preparing for College and Career Success
- Teaching transparencies
- Answer keys
All the benefits of additional online-only resources, such as mini-sites, Level Up, Online Remediation, and Holt McDougal Online Assessment, are included in the online edition. Everything is easy to find through the browse and search functionality.
Online Editions Preview
Follow these steps to preview the Holt McDougal Literature Online Edition.
Go to preview.hrw.com
Enter Sample Word* and complete the user registration
* Contact your Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Account Executive for sample word
English Language Arts Common Core Solutions Teacher Site
Support for implementing the Common Core State Standards into everyday curricula is available at the English Language Arts Common Core Solutions website. Site resources that help teachers guide student mastery of the Standards include:
- Connections: Nonfiction for Common Core informational texts
- Interactive Whiteboard Lessons
- Links to HISTORY® resources, Newseum, and state-specific materials
Interactive Whiteboard Lessons
Correlated to the Common Core State Standards, Interactive Whiteboard Lessons focus on key skills for critical reading, literature, informational texts, writing, and language.
For the best user experience, teachers should access the whiteboard lessons with SMART Notebook® or SMART Notebook Express.
Figurative Language Imagery Lesson (22.1 MB)
About This Lesson (114 k)
Online Essay Scoring
Nothing can replace a teacher's thoughtful comments, but Holt McDougal Online Essay Scoring saves time by providing students with the practice and feedback they need to improve as writers and prepare for state assessment. Teachers can select from dozens of prompts for different types of writing assignments, including arguments, informational/explanatory texts, and narratives. Students receive an accurate score, based on either a four- or six-point scale, and detailed feedback for each category on the rubric.
Holt Professional Development for Language Arts
This website offers in-service and support to teachers anytime and anywhere.
- Fourteen professional learning videos. Holt McDougal program authors and consultants address the challenges of today's classrooms, including reaching struggling readers and using technology in the Language Arts classroom
- Handbook for new teachers
- Study guides for author publications
- Printable support, such as facilitation guides
- Relevant articles and research
Level Up Online Remediation
This multi-sensory tutoring program helps improve student mastery of literary and reading skills. Level Up diagnoses student strengths and weaknesses through a diagnostic exam and automatically assigns appropriate remediation tutorials.
A posttest allows teachers to easily track student progress. Teachers can also assign tutorials to their entire class, groups of students, or individuals to help support instruction and review skills.
HISTORY® and related logos are the property of A&E Television Networks (AETN). SMART Notebook® is a registered trademark of SMART Technologies.
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Electronic Resources
One Stop Planners
Students and Teachers can search and browse a comprehensive selection of resources that complement Holt McDougal Literature.
For Students
- Electronic versions of Student Edition pages
- Audio support
- Printable worksheets
- ExamView® player
For Teachers
- Electronic version of Teacher Edition pages
- Editable lesson plans and all print teacher resource pages
- Functionality to assign resources to calendar days
- ExamView Assessment Suite
Connections: Nonfiction for Common Core CD
Additional informational text, including some seminal works of American literature, on the Connections: Nonfiction for Common Core compact disc supplements Holt McDougal Literature. Nonfiction Connections are also accessible from the online editions in Student and Teacher Resources.
Nonfiction Lexiles® (983 k)
MediaSmart DVD-ROM
Using a variety of real media, students learn to think critically and analyze the elements of media consumption and production, as well as the possible motives behind the message. MediaSmart instruction works in tandem with the in-book feature, Media Studies, and supports the unit skills.
Holt McDougal Audio Tutor
Professional readings of adapted selections in the Adapted Interactive Reader and English Language Learner Adapted Interactive Reader are paired with an audio track of guided questions and comprehension checks to reach auditory learners and/or students who struggle with traditional texts. Spanish summaries and translations of the annotations are also provided.
WordSharp: An Interactive Vocabulary Tutor CD-ROM
This interactive tutor uses accessible and engaging lessons to help students with vocabulary in two ways: by strengthening student ability to contextually make sense of unfamiliar words and by exposing students to high-utility and academic vocabulary. Also available online.
WriteSmart CD-ROM
WriteSmart is a comprehensive resource that supports and develops cornerstone writing skills. The student version includes more than 250 writing prompts and a writing model bank. Interactive student models, graphic organizers, and revision lessons round out this toolkit. Also available online.
The teacher version includes ideas for writing, a writing model bank, and a rubric generator as well as interactive tools, such as:
- Student models
- Graphic organizers
- Revision lessons
ExamView® is a registered trademark of eInstruction Corporation. Lexile® is a trademark of MetaMetrics, Inc., and is registered in the United States and abroad.
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Available Digital Formats
iBooks® Textbooks
iBooks® textbooks offer rich, magazine-style student editions, multi-touch capabilities, and embedded interactive features to maximize learning engagement. Available for iPad® and iPad mini™.
HMH® eTextbooks
eTextbooks include all of the content from the print Student Edition. Available for all major devices, additional functionality may include zoom & resize, scroll, text and keyword web search, bookmark, and notes.
Learn more about the technical specifications and guidelines for these products
Apple, the Apple logo, iPad, and iBooks are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. iPad mini is a trademark of Apple Inc.
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HMH Professional Services
Our Mission Is to Advance Yours
HMH Professional Services forges student-centered partnerships with schools and districts in the belief that all learners deserve a quality education and the opportunity for lifelong success.
HMH Professional Services includes teachers, leaders, and technologists. Our Professional Learning Consultants become part of your team, working right beside you to build and implement professional learning plans that respect the unique needs and culture of your school or district community. Through program, practice, and technical services, we work collaboratively to unlock the full potential of every student, teacher, and leader.
Comprehensive Services for K–12 Educators
We offer teachers and instructional leaders a full suite of learning and support to deepen their mastery and hone their teaching skills throughout the school year.
Visit us at hmhco.com/professionalservices to learn more.
AskHMH™ is a trademark of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.