Is Novel ELA a comprehensive curriculum, or a supplemental curriculum?

Novel ELA is a year-long, standards-aligned, comprehensive curriculum.

Will I need to combine Novel ELA with other writing or grammar programs?

Writing instruction and language and grammar skills are embedded directly within our units. All Novel ELA writing and language assignments are connected to a core text or ask students to write about knowledge built within the unit. Therefore, you will not need a separate writing block or writing curriculum.

For what length of a class period is each Novel lesson designed?

Novel lessons are designed for a 60-minute class period.

What is “included” with the Novel ELA curriculum? What is NOT included?

Purchasing a license to the Novel ELA curriculum includes:

Where can I buy the books for Novel ELA units?

Novel’s preferred book distributors are Reading Warehouse and Lightswitch Learning, which both keep inventory of our ISBNs in their US-based warehouses in order to ensure timely delivery. You can find helpful order forms on both websites, which are aligned to our course pathways and indicate whether 1:1 texts or a class set is advised for a particular unit.

What role does homework play in the Novel ELA curriculum?

As a novel-based curriculum, Novel ELA relies on homework to support the reading of several long-form works over the course of the school year - while saving classtime for deep, analytical close reading, as well as writing, speaking, and listening about the text.

We offer comprehensive guidance around how to design strong homework accountability systems for your implementation of Novel ELA. We use homework as a literal, “first read”; as such, we often recommend leveraging summaries, videos, and audiobooks as needed to support homework completion.

You can expect the following of Novel homework:

• Novel MS ELA = ~10-15 minutes of nightly homework reading;

• Novel HS ELA = ~15-20 minutes of nightly homework reading;

• Novel AP ELA = ~20-30 minutes of nightly homework reading.

Does Novel ELA include explicit “test prep” for the PSAT, ACT, or my state screening test?

Novel ELA does not include explicit test preparation for specific universal screening tests; we are aligned to the Common Core and also backwards mapped from the demands of the AP English Language and Literature courses. While we do include robust cold-passage assessment (both quizzes and tests), these assessments are standards aligned and not tailored to a specific screening test.

If you desire explicit test prep around a universal screener or college-readiness assessment, we advise layering this in during another time in the school day, or leveraging flex days in your instructional calendar to include this coverage.