Southwestern Advantage Blog

Thaddeus Wert,  M.Ed., Vanderbilt Review of Southwestern Advantage: Math Content As I went through all of this material, I tried to think of topics that were left out, and I honestly couldn’t think of any. This is the most comprehensive presentation of elementary, middle, and secondary level mathematics that I’ve ever seen. Students can potentially find math examples by searching on the Internet, but there aren’t any websites that are this organized and easy to navigate. There certainly isn’t one single website that provides as much content as what is available in these books. Special Features This is where I am most impressed with this product. Southwestern Advantage has managed to bring a “hypertext” feel to the static pages of a hardcover book. Students today are turned off by linear presentations of content, and they have shorter attention spans. The problem is they still have to learn a lot of math concepts! I believe the Advantage books will appeal to students who...

Southwestern Advantage has developed materials that are written to help children build on their knowledge and curiosity.  I value and utilize a variety of the Southwestern Advantage product line .    The My Books help children identify & match words using vibrant illustrations.  When my children were very young they enjoyed pointing and identifying pictures in each book.  Becoming familiar with written text, as well as learning how to page through a book the correct way, nurtures their reading experience.  The My Books have been used for years and years in my home.  Having these books in my own children's hands at a young age, has given them independence and a sense of accomplishment.  As young as one year old, my children have paged through the My Books .  At first I would ask them to label the words.  This helped them as they were learning to talk. If they did not know, I would tell them and we would locate o...

Edna Rogers - National Teachers Hall of Fame National Teachers Hall of Fame member Edna Rogers comments on the Southwestern Advantage learning system Overall rate: Superior Strongest area: The material leads to high-level thinking, gives opportunities for problem solving, gets the student thinking beyond the classroom. Favorite section:  'The Author.' It is very informative, challenges the student to reach for an  understanding of what, why, where, and who writes books, poem, articles, and so on. Most informative section:  'The Audience.' Often, students are not taught these critical skills  until college level. To read the points for being an audience is very good for the student to  think about before being required to write a paper or essay. Most inspiring section:  'Reader’s Response.' The statement “ the same text can mean different  things to different readers ” is a statement that I wish had been told to me at an early ag...

Keil Hileman - Kansas Teacher of the Year " I love the setup and easy access for data. The pages look great. I believe you have achieved your goal of creating pages that are open and visually appealing, while making sure students get what they need to review for tests and/or what they’re likely to need as they attempt to do their homework. I compared the topics and chapters to our U.S. history book, and they matched up very well. The tables, charts, and 'Did You Know' sections will help students very much. Time lines are great—useful and easy to read. Spotlights are nice and useful. Clear bold headings help with keeping interest and readability. 'Now You Know' sections are a great way to sum up! I love the maps with clear headings, descriptions, and explanations. FYI sections are helpful. I love the mix of color, black and white, and color cartoons. Most texts only have paintings and black-and-white photos. Whoev...

Benita Bruster, Ph.D. "Southwestern Advantage has hit an absolute “home run” with the new Social Studies and Language book. This resource guide contains critical elements to build student success in Social Studies and Language Arts. The publisher provided a comprehensive package to prepare students for achieving their educational goals; the book, the on-line Web-based support , and the software are all inclusive elements included with this text. One of the most impressive parts of this book is the organization. Students need to be able to find information easily and quickly; this book is easy to use with multiple ways to access information. The color coding on the edges of each page will guide students to the areas needed without flipping page by page. Simply turn to the color-coded section and the information you are seeking will be there. The index is also extensive and well organized. The index topics are in bold print with color in the center to facilitate searching...