Engage Students

Engage your students through gorgeous visuals, relevant topics and meaningful activities. At the heart of On Our Way to English^® is a commitment to bring rich, culturally relevant language learning to every English language learner.

Challenge Students

Challenge students to reach new heights through rigorous content specifically written to foster success across the four language domains. Built upon the latest research and the Common Core State Standards, On Our Way to English presents language learners with enhanced writing instruction, foundational skills, embedded speaking and listening activities and a myriad of text interaction opportunities that will bring students to the next level of language development.

Soar to New Heights

Your students will soar to new heights through rigorous content specifically written for language learners that connects to students’ core instruction.

On Our Way to English® is a registered trademark of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

• Student Engagement

  Engage your students through stunning visuals, relevant topics and meaningful activities. At the heart of On Our Way to English^® is a commitment to bring rich, culturally relevant language learning to every student. More than just acquiring new ideas or skills and strategies, students will see themselves in the readings and WANT to engage in the learning…as active participants. Beautifully crafted selections that are meaningful and connected to core content are housed within eight social studies and science-based units.

  Rich Content

  Rich literature and highly visual content pieces strike a perfect balance between literary and informational texts.

  

  Culturally Relevant

  Students will see themselves in an array of selections. More than reflective of the individual student, On Our Way to English introduces students to a variety of other cultures and takes them on a journey across the continents.

  

  Social Studies and Science Units

  Content is tied together by eight social studies and science units that naturally develop academic language while bringing many opportunities to explore and develop students’ language.

  

  Interactive Learning

  Online Instructional Posters and Online Vocabulary Cards take language learning to a new level as students are introduced to both general and domain-specific vocabulary through several levels of support.

  

  On Our Way to English® is a registered trademark of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

• Rich Content

  Rich literature and highly visual content pieces strike a perfect balance between literary and informational texts. On Our Way to English^® inspires great conversation as students are drawn to the rich visuals. Thematically linked selections are fully supportive of developing students' listening and speaking. All of the rich content is tied together by a big question, inspiring meaningful dialogue and a great opportunity to develop rich academic vocabulary, while making meaningful connections to the content.

  

  On Our Way to English® is a registered trademark of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

• Culturally Relevant

  Once drawn in by the beauty of the books, students will want to stay because they will begin to see themselves in an array of selections. On Our Way to English^® introduces students to a variety of other cultures and takes them on a journey across the continents.

  

  On Our Way to English® is a registered trademark of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

• Social Studies and Science Units

  Content is tied together by eight social studies and science units that naturally develop academic language, while bringing many opportunities to explore and develop students’ language. Naturally lending itself to the Common Core State Standards, the instruction develops rich academic language through presenting a variety of interactions and resources. As the units are built around major concepts, students have sufficient time to truly become versed in a topic, regardless of the level of proficiency. The units in On Our Way to English^® connect to core content, which inspires active learning and endless opportunities for students to make meaningful connections in their main instruction.

  

  On Our Way to English® is a registered trademark of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

• Interactive Learning

  Online Instructional Posters and Online Vocabulary Cards take language learning to a new level as students are introduced to both general and domain-specific vocabulary through several levels of support.

  Online Academic Language Builders, Online Concept Posters, and Online Chant Posters enhance language productivity through a gradual release of language supports.

  For students at the more basic level of language, the Chant Posters bring students out of the silent period and into success through patterned predictable phrasing that has full audio support.

  As a student’s language experience grows within the units they will encounter Online Academic Language Builders and Online Concept Posters. With less text support and a greater opportunity for students to develop independence, the interactive nature of the posters brings students to their feet and has them sing, chant, and play.

  

  On Our Way to English® is a registered trademark of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

• CCSS and English Learners

  

  Lydia Stack is a contributor to the Understanding Language Project through Stanford and has worked tirelessly to ensure that the Common Core State Standards are not only accessible to English language learners, but that they are relevant to their learning experience. Lydia’s contributions to the language learning community, and more specifically On Our Way to English^®, have been celebrated by the ELL community. What is most impressive about Ms. Stack’s work is her profound understanding of the Common Core State Standards and the many ways language learners are able to access the same content as their peers. Lydia’s research and practices are echoed throughout On Our Way to English.

   

  Foundational Skills

  Foundational Skills are embedded throughout the program and are a clear part of the student experience. Phonics Song Charts bring alphabet skills to students in a way that taps into the visual and musical experience. As students move into the Student Book they will find ABC pages at the primary level, as well as Letters and Sounds lessons and Word Work. Clearly designed for language learners, the visuals are supportive of language acquisition, while supporting the overall early literacy concepts that are essential to a student’s success.

  

  Literary Informational Text

  The Common Core also requires that students have a blend of informational and literary texts. The paired selections are a perfect match to prepare students for the skills required to interact with both types of text. More importantly, these selections are wrapped around an overarching theme, empowering students with concept words, instructional strategies, and resources so that they have the language they need to speak effectively and articulately about what they are reading.

  

  Text Complexity

  As the student experience is designed to best prepare students for success across the content areas, the natural design of On Our Way to English supports the use of complex text. Academic vocabulary, higher-level concepts, figurative language, and a host of other elements make On Our Way to English the perfect entrée to complex text as it has tremendous supports for English language learners.

  

  Interaction with Text (Zoom In and Prove It)

  Features such as Zoom In and Prove It have students revisit the text, citing text evidence and looking for details with a different eye. More than just a language experience, students will take these strategies and move them to the core content for a seamless transition. Only On Our Way to English will bring appropriately complex text to every language learner coupled with the instruction the Common Core requires.

  

  On Our Way to English® is a registered trademark of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

• Language and Vocabulary

  Meaningful Discussions

  Academic Discussion Strategies

  Academic discussion strategies afford students a safe environment…one where they can take risks. The strategies are taught throughout a unit and are built upon year after year. The supports found in the Teacher’s Edition scaffolds the learning and gradually release responsibility to the student.

  

  Amplify the Language

  Amplify the Language challenges students to enhance their language development by extending the discussion. The Online Instructional Posters offer comprehensible input and the differentiated instruction supports a diverse language learning population. With the Let’s Talk feature, students will be talking about the engaging content…structured in a fully supportive model that brings students back to the core Student Book.

  

  Dig Deeper

  Dig Deeper models proper etiquette, informal language, and rules of verbal discourse students need through real-life situations. Housed directly in the Student Book, the lesson’s progression builds independence that easily transfers to core content required by the CCSS.

  

  Rich Vocabulary

  Marzano’s Six Step Vocabulary Approach

  Using Robert Marzano's Six Step Vocabulary Approach, students move through the 6 steps and interact with the words in a variety of ways.

  • Step 1 uses the vocabulary cards and presents words in a student friendly way.
  • Step 2 has students demonstrate understanding in ways that reflect their own levels of proficiency.
  • Step 3 has the students connect the word to their own learning and experiences.
  • Step 4 moves students to a level of discussion that brings all students into the fold.
  • Step 5 has students reflect and refine, bringing ownership and true understanding of language to the students.
  • Step 6 has students demonstrate mastery through learning games.

  

  Because the lesson design is so interwoven, students are exposed to the academic discussion strategy multiple times; each opportunity challenges them to take their language learning to the next level.

  Vocabulary Resources

  Instructional Posters and Online Vocabulary Cards take language learning to a new level as students are introduced to both general and domain-specific vocabulary through several levels of support.

  Academic Language Builders, Concept Posters, and Chant Posters enhance language productivity through a gradual release of language supports. For students at the more basic level of language, the chant posters bring students out of the silent period and into success through patterned predictable phrasing that has full audio.

  As a student’s language experience grow within the units, they will encounter Academic Language Builders and Concept Posters. With less text support and a greater opportunity for students to develop independence, the interactive nature of the posters brings students to their feet and has them sing, chant, and play.

  

  On Our Way to English® is a registered trademark of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

• Writing

  Rich Writing Opportunities

  Sound instructional strategies, rich vocabulary and many oral language production opportunities set the stage for truly robust writing experiences. The Student Book (K–2) and the Student Activity Book (3–5) support the writing process.

  

  Fostering Writing Independence

  The lesson design is outlined through the Blueprint for Writing. Echoing the gradual release model is the unit’s instruction that begins with a modeled experience, moving to shared experiences and finally independence. As the Student Edition and Student Activity Books have student models, language learners will maximize on the reciprocal nature between reading and writing…while crafting a finished product over the course of a unit.

  

  On Our Way to English® is a registered trademark of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

• Rigorous Content

  Watch your students take flight and soar to new heights.

  Leveled Readers

  One of the ways independence in reading is achieved is through matching text to reader and supporting students with robust instruction. The Online Leveled Readers are crafted just for language learners, taking both language and reading level into consideration. Visuals have all of the elements fully supportive of simultaneous language and reading development. As students progress, they will encounter text that has more complex sentence structures, figurative language, and the increased use of idioms, while also being challenged with qualitatively difficult text. Independence in reading and mastery of language are essential for the generalization of skills into the core instruction.

  

  Learning Centers

  Learn Centers add depth and cross curricular growth to the student experience. Naturally building social and academic language, the Learning Centers tap into a variety of learning modalities.

  

  Unit Projects

  Unit Projects tie together skills and strategies while developing all language domains. Students learn essential skills that are transferred to their entire academic experience.

  

  Community Involvement

  As all members of the language learning community are active participants in On Our Way to English^®, the digital delivery and Home Activities bring everyone into the conversation.

  

  Link to Core Experiences

  A unique online correlation allows teachers to connect On Our Way to English to reading lessons by skill or strategy. On Our Way to English offers a truly seamless way to have students soar to the core!

  

  On Our Way to English® is a registered trademark of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

• Authors

  Meet the On Our Way to English^® author team.

  

  Dr. Yvonne Freeman - Author

  Professor Emeritus, University of Texas at Brownsville

  Dr. Yvonne Freeman was honored by the National Council of Teachers of English as an Outstanding Educator in Elementary English Language Arts. She is interested in effective education for bilingual learners. In addition to doing staff development with school districts across the country, she and her husband, Dr. David Freeman, present regularly at international, national, and state conferences.

  The Freemans have published jointly and separately on the topics of second language teaching, biliteracy, bilingual education, and linguistics. Dr. Freeman is a co-author of On Our Way to English and Literacy by Design^®. She has also co-authored STEEL^™ (Strategic Teaching Essentials for English Learners), a professional development program for teachers to support their teaching of ELLs. Dr. Freeman has authored several professional books for Heinemann.

  Dr. Freeman received her B.A. in Spanish from U.C. Santa Barbara, her M.A. in Education from Stanford University, and her M.A. in ESL and Ph.D. in Elementary Education from the University of Arizona.

  

  Dr. David Freeman - Author

  Professor Emeritus, University of Texas at Brownsville

  Dr. David Freeman was honored by the National Council of Teachers of English as an Outstanding Educator in Elementary English Language Arts. He is interested in effective education for bilingual learners. In addition to doing staff development with school districts across the country, Dr. Freeman and his wife, Dr. Yvonne Freeman, present regularly at international, national, and state conferences.

  The Freemans have published jointly and separately on the topics of second language teaching, biliteracy, bilingual education, and linguistics. David is also a co-author of On Our Way to English, Literacy by Design and STEEL (Strategic Teaching Essentials for English Learners), a professional development program for teachers to support their teaching of ELLs. David has authored several professional books published by Heinemann.

  Dr. Freeman received his B.A. in English Literature from Dartmouth College, his M.A. Education from Stanford University, and his M.A. ESL and Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Arizona.

  

  Dr. Margo Gottlieb - Program Author

  Wisconsin Center for Education Research, University of Wisconsin

  Dr. Margo Gottlieb is Director of Assessment and Evaluation for the Illnois Resource Center, Arlington Heights and Lead Developer for the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) Consortium at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research, University of Wisconsin, Madison.

  Margo has spearheaded the design and development of pre-K–12 English language proficiency standards for various organizations.

  She is internationally recognized as an expert in the conceptualization of language standards and assessments for English language learners. She began her career as an English as a Second Language and bilingual education teacher.

  Dr. Gottlieb is co-author of On Our Way to English, a comprehensive K–5 ESL program, and author of the ELL Assessment Kit, an English language proficiency benchmarking tool.

  Dr. Gottlieb received her B.A. in the teaching of Spanish, an M.A. in Applied Linguistics, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy Analysis, Evaluation Research and Program Design.

  

  Dr. Robert Marzano - Program Author

  Co-founder and CEO of Marzano Research Laboratory, Englewood, Colorado

  A leading researcher in education, Dr. Marzano is a speaker, trainer and author of more than 30 books and 150 articles on topics such as instruction, assessment, writing and implementing standards, cognition, effective leadership, and school intervention.

  His practical translations of the most current research and theory into classroom strategies are internationally known and widely practices by both teachers and administrators. Dr. Marzano is co-author of Holt McDougal Literature,Literacy by Design, and On Our Way to English.

  Dr. Marzano received a Bachelor’s degree from Iona College in New York, a Master’s degree from Seattle University, and a Doctorate from the University of Washington.

  

  Dr. Mary Lou McCloskey - Program Author

  Director, Teacher Education and Curriculum Development for Educo, Atlanta, Georgia

  Former President of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other languages (TESOL), Mary Lou McCloskey has taught learners K–12 and in undergraduate and graduate programs. As a consultant in the field of English language education, she has worked with teachers, teacher educators, and departments and ministries of education throughout the united States and around the world.

  Dr. McCloskey is co-author of Holt McDougal Literature, On Our Way to English, and was consulting author and ESOL specialist for McDougal Littell Literature.

  Dr. McCloskey holds a M.S. degree from Syracuse University and a Ph.D. from Georgia State University.

  

  Dr. Cecelia Silva - Program Author

  Associate Professor, School of Education at Texas Christian University, Fort Worth Texas

  Having taught in bilingual/ESL elementary classrooms, Dr. Silva specializes in ESL, bilingual, and multicultural education. Her research interests includes thematic instruction for promoting language, literacy and concept development, multicultural and bilingual education.

  She co-authored Teaching the Dimensions of Literacy and Curricular Conversations: Themes in Multilingual and Monolingual Classrooms, Cases of Successful Literacy Teachers.

  

  Lydia Stack - Program Author

  International ESL Consultant, Director of the Screening and Assessment Center, Unified School District, San Francisco, California

  Lydia Stack is a contributor to the Understanding Language Project through Stanford University and has worked tirelessly to ensure that the Common Core State Standards are not only accessible to English language learners, but that they are relevant to their learning experience. Lydia Stack’s areas of expertise are English language teaching strategies, ESL standards for students and teachers, and curriculum writing. Her teaching experience includes 25 years as an elementary and high school ESL teacher and she is past president of TESOL.

  Ms. Stack is co-author of On Our Way to English, Holt McDougal Literature, and McDougal Littell Literature.

  Lydia Stack received her B.A. in Sociology from Dominican College, San Rafael, and her M.A. in Education from California State University.

  

  Aurora Colón García - Co-author

  First-grade teacher and former Literacy Specialist, Northside Independent School District, San Antonio, Texas

  Aurora Colón Garcia currently is a first-grade teacher and former Literacy Specialist in San Antonio, Texas. During her teaching career, she has been an instructor at Texas Woman’s University. Texas State University and Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio. She has been a bilingual teacher, a reading specialist, an adult ESL instructor, and a national literacy consultant.

  On Our Way to English®, Literacy by Design®, and STEEL™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

• Correlations

  Correlation guides indicate how On Our Way to English^® correlates to both WIDA^® and CCSS Standards. Download a PDF to see specifics at a particular level.

  WIDA Correlations (467 KB)

  On Our Way to English® is a registered trademark of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. WIDA® is a registered trademark of the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.

• Scope and Sequence

  The Scope and Sequence provides an overview of the concepts to be covered in On Our Way to English^®. Download a PDF to see the progression and order of topic introduction.

  Scope and Sequence (4.07 MB)

  On Our Way to English® is a registered trademark of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

• Common Core

  Access to the Core

  On Our Way to English^® provides carefully crafted content-based thematic units that build language across the four domains- listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The vast array of print and digital resources support both whole group and small group instruction and provide flexibility in the way you deliver content.

  Common Core Enhancement Packages

  Two new packages work with On Our Way to English to ensure that the Common Core State Standards are completely fulfilled. Clear instruction, ready-made pretests, practice and review sheets; assessments, and reteaching activities make lessons easy to implement.

  Package Contents

  Common Core Extension Teacher Edition: Organized by topics according to the Common Core State Standards , the Common Core Extension Teacher Edition includes a variety of lessons to support Reading, Grammar and Writing, Speaking and Listening, as well as Text Analysis. Lessons contain explicit instructions for presentation and practice; suggestions for differentiation; answer keys; and Teach, Reteach, and Review activities.

  Common Core Extension Student Edition: Using pretests to determine if students need additional instruction to master a standard, the Common Core Extension Student Edition features instruction and practice pages while providing review, and Formative Assessments.

  Reteaching Correlation Guide to On Our Way to English: Provides a quick and easy reference to guide the teacher from the Common Core State Standards to the corresponding pages in the Common Core Extension materials.

  Vocabulary

  Research confirms that learning vocabulary is one of the keys to language acquisition and success in school. On Our Way to English is the only ELL program that incorporates Dr. Robert Marzano’s Six-Step Vocabulary Process—your key to success for vocabulary development. Per the Common Core State Standards, students will receive explicit instruction in domain-specific and general academic vocabulary that will ensure success in the content areas.

  Speaking and Listening

  Connected thematically, oral language lessons have a daily, weekly and unit sequence to reinforce language learning and to support optimal acquisition of vocabulary and skills. Review of key concepts is comprehensive in that students are expected to use the structures taught throughout the course of a lesson…and their lives. A variety of instructional tools including Chant Posters, Academic Language Builders, Big Books, Read Alouds and Concept Posters are clearly referenced in the daily instruction.

  Language

  On Our Way to English develops language, and the overall structures and principles of the English language, through direct mini-lessons. Grammar lessons are provided through the Thematic Teacher’s Edition, with thorough follow up in the Activity Book. The back-matter of the Thematic Teacher’s Edition houses a comprehensive language transfer document that addresses grammatical and phonological elements.

• Research: Evidence & Efficacy

  On Our Way to English Field Study (2014)

  Summarizes Grades 2–4 English language learners' (ELL) acquisition of English language skills using the On Our Way to English program.

  View All Studies