Parallel Text

Grades 8–12

Accessible classic literature

Featuring the original text and a line-by-line modern translation on facing pages, each text brings classic works to life.

Ensure comprehension while helping students appreciate the original language of Shakespeare and early British and American authors. Introductory material offers historical and cultural context while critical thinking questions and text-based activities throughout encourage discussion and analysis.

Build Comprehension Fast

Paired sections at two reading levels support struggling readers without sacrificing rigor.

Deepen Critical Thinking

Lessons guide students to analyze, compare, and respond to engaging paired texts.

Easy to Teach, Flexible to Use

Perfect for small groups, interventions, or independent practice.

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“

[Parallel Text] worked beautifully. I was able to get students to read it and they weren’t struggling. They really got into the story and weren’t bogged down by the language. [The text] was very faithful to the original and only translated when necessary. They could see the differences were actually very small. Students were able to appreciate the story and it was easy to teach.

”

English Teacher
Young Women's Leadership School New York, New York

Shakespeare (Grades 8-12)

Before each act, students complete prereading activities that include guiding questions, an overview of key literary elements, vocabulary to know, and a brief act summary to set context and focus attention.
After each act, students engage in discussion and analysis of major literary elements, supported by four to five writing prompts that encourage deeper understanding and personal response.
Once the entire play is finished, students participate in final discussion and analysis activities, respond to additional writing prompts, and collaborate on multimodal and group projects that connect their learning across the whole text.

Early American Literature: Beginnings to 1870 (Grades 9-12)

Recall and literary analysis questions for each selection.
Units organized by time period.
Original writings in a variety of genres—essays, speeches, diary and autobiographical excerpts, and poetry.
Numbered paragraphs and stanzas for easy reference.

British Literature: 449–1798 (Grades 11-12)

Recall and literary analysis questions for each selection.
Units organized by time period.
Original writings in a variety of genres—sonnets, novels, essays, diaries, and ballads.
Numbered paragraphs and stanzas for easy reference

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Early American Literature: Beginnings to 1870

Jonathan Edwards, Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, Thomas Paine, Abigail Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Phillis Wheatley, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and more.

British Literature: 449–1798

Geoffrey Chaucer, Sir Thomas Malory, Edmund Spenser, Christopher Marlowe, Sir Walter Raleigh, William Shakespeare, John Donne, John Milton, Alexander Pope, and more.

Shakespeare's Plays: