Southwestern Advantage Blog

Ernest Schiller Iowa Teacher of the Year "I believe that this Biology section could be used as a resource for advanced middle school kids, especially if the 8 th grade students were taking a Life Science class. In terms of the adaptability to high school, it would fit in quite well as a General Biology course or even in an Advanced Biology class. [It] is interesting enough for most students to even want to read as a science book. And that is probably this book’s strength: having an interesting point of view in the reading, articles, diagrams, side pieces, and even the tables with pictures. I have never seen a book take on the view that it does. Highly interesting and stimulating and hopefully the students that will use this book will feel the same as I do. Very good use of FYI ’ s for the reader. I do like the streamlined approach to this book. I think it is clean and neat and a great organized approach from the student’s point of view. Of particular interest to me was the ...

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...